Final Fantasy X - Resolution (v2)
by LordJX
Summary: What happens when a soldier of Bevelle retires to one of Spira's tropical islands and meets the love of his life? He ends up with far more than he ever bargained for. Join Kilika's Lady Tara and Sir Gian as they undertake a pilgrimage to rid Spira of Sin forever. This is a new and improved version of the story and I hope you enjoy it.
1. Prologue

_Final Fantasy X - Resolution (V2.0)  
_

_Final Fantasy X is owned and copyrighted by Square-Enix. All original characters and original story developments are owned by the author. No copyright infringement is intended and the author has received no financial compensation for anything contained herein._

_The story is set 3 months before the point where Braska would begin his pilgrimage in the canonical story._

_Special thanks to Anasazi Darkmoon for providing inspiration and story ideas. This would not have been possible without her.  
_

* * *

**Prologue**

The sun shone brightly over Kilika Temple as an old man was preparing a picnic lunch for his niece and nephew. The children were distracted by two large statues on the temple grounds - the first statue of a beautiful summoner and the second of her ruggedly-handsome guardian.

"Who are these statues of?" the younger girl asked.

The old man smiled as he began to explain.

"Those statues are of two very important people in Spira. High Summoner Tara and her guardian Lord Gian. Thanks to them, Spira now enjoys life without the threat of Sin hanging over us. They were also two of the finest friends I ever had."

"Wow, you knew them?" marveled the older boy.

"Indeed I did," the old man continued, "I even fought alongside them briefly during their journey together."

"Way to go, Uncle Darno!" the younger girl exclaimed. "Tell us more!"

The two children settled themselves for what they knew would be an entertaining tale, as the old man began.


	2. Chapter 1 - Birth of a Friendship

**Chapter 1 - Birth of a Friendship**

The sunrise in the port village of Kilika was among the most beautiful in all of Spira, and it was one of the many reasons that Gian had chosen the small island on which to make a new home and a new life.

Gian was a former soldier of Bevelle who was just short of thirty years of age. He stood six feet tall and he was one of Bevelle's more proficient swordsmen, as well as a functional white mage.

Gian really liked the small island village even if the villagers seemed wary of him. He found Kilika to be peaceful, quiet, and completely devoid of politics and everything else he disliked about Bevelle.

Gian peered out his window and watched the beginning of the village's daily activity. He saw merchants setting up their displays, boats arriving and departing from the dock, and fishermen out looking for their catches of the day. He also noticed one of the more popular residents of the village, a young woman named Tara.

Tara was a young woman of twenty, and a native of Kilika. She was a slender woman of medium height, with a lightly tanned complexion and long, slightly-wavy black hair. Most people who saw Tara would consider her attractive. As a budding black mage, Tara had learned how to take care of herself at an early age, no thanks to the destructive force known as Sin. Tara often helped with the care of many of the young children in the village as well. Tara had given some thought to joining the Yevon clergy, but she was never actually able to make up her mind to begin. Tara also liked the simple nature of Kilika, and she was in no hurry to leave the only home she had ever known.

Gian smiled and resumed cleaning up his small cabin. Afterwards, he began to prepare breakfast. One of Gian's specialties was a quiche-type dish made from eggs and fresh fish caught by his friend Roman, the old fisherman. Roman was one of the few natives who decided to strike up a friendship with the new arrival. Gian loved listening to the old man's stories, and Roman always made sure that Gian had an ample supply of fresh fish.

Gian finished preparing a pan of the delicious entrée and placed it into the fire oven. A few moments later, he heard a knock at his door. He did not expect to see Tara standing in the doorway.

"Hi! I don't even really know if you like this or not, but… I thought you might like some coffee this morning," she offered. Gian smiled and accepted.

"You said the magic word. I love coffee, and the Kilika blend is the best in Spira. Thank you!"

"You're very welcome. Wow, something smells good! What is it?"

Gian paused to check on the progress of his masterpiece.

"Breakfast. Are you hungry? I always make more than I could ever actually eat."

Tara took another deep breath and savored the aroma coming from the oven. She eagerly accepted.

"If it tastes as good as it smells, how could I say no?"

The morning was getting off to a great start. Gian began to dish up the delightful concoction.

"Good. Perhaps together, we can eat it all and I won't have to feed the fish today." Tara laughed as she tried to picture Gian cooking to feed the island fish.

The two sat down to enjoy breakfast. Much to Tara's delight, her breakfast tasted every bit as good as it smelled. Their conversation turned to the background of Kilika's mysterious new resident. Tara was just as curious as many of the other residents were.

"You know, I always see you coming and going, but I never seem to see you out in the village. I'm curious. Tell me about yourself."

"There's not much to tell, really," Gian explained, "I was born in Bevelle. I grew up and went to school there as well. When I turned eighteen, I joined the Bevelle Guard. I spent many years in the Guard and I got to the point where I felt I had accomplished all I was going to. I've been just about everywhere in Spira. I came through here more than a few times, and I'd always thought this village might be a nice, quiet place to live. It's on the water too, and that's a big plus. The chance came up, so I took it. I really like it here, even if the villagers seem a little nervous around me.

"I'm not nervous around you," Tara replied, somewhat surprised. "You seem like a nice-enough guy. They just don't know you. Go out into the village. Get to know people, and let them get to know you. The uneasiness will disappear, I promise."

Gian considered Tara's words. "Maybe you're right. I'll try it and see what happens. How was breakfast? Did I do okay?"

Tara patted her tummy. "If you always cook this well, you'll be seeing a lot more of me - in more ways than one."

"I could think of worse things. I'll stop short of fattening you up. So what's going on today?"

"Nothing much, really. I figured I'd do some cleaning and laundry. What about you?" It was a beautiful day, and Tara did not want to spend it cleaning and doing laundry.

Gian knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to do the one thing that he loved more than anything - that didn't involve consuming copious amounts of coffee. "I'm thinking of renting a boat. Being out on the water relaxes me. I love the water, and the peace and quiet that comes with it."

"Sounds like fun! Want some company? If you don't mind, that is." The idea of boating seemed to work for Tara.

Gian did not mind at all. He wanted a reason to get to know the young woman and now he had one.

"Let's do it!"

They both walked to the end of the dock where they found Roman unloading fishing gear from his boat, having finished his morning trip. Gian handed his friend a nice amount of gil, and then turned to Tara. "Looks like we have a boat!"

The old man smiled. "You kids have fun, now!"

Tara had known Roman her entire life, and she knew he was an excellent judge of character. If he liked Gian, that was good enough for her. In time, the villagers would accept him as well. She was certain of it.

The two spent the next couple of hours on the water talking about anything and everything, from politics, to the various locales of Spira, and even blitzball. They were having a wonderful time together and both hoped it would be the first of many.

Their route cut a wide circle, almost halfway to Baaj Temple and back. At one point in the trip, Tara wondered if Gian knew where he was going. Gian reassured her that even though he grew up in Bevelle, he had been around boats and water since he was very little. He knew what he was doing.

As the pair returned to Kilika Dock, they discovered, to their horror, that not much of the village remained. Sin had come and gone, and left nothing but destruction. The pair could not believe their eyes as they surveyed the damage. They saw cabins lifted completely off their docking posts and destroyed, entire sections of the dock blown away, and other cabins with missing roofs and caved-in walls. Fortunately, most of the villagers had found safety in the jungle area towards the center of the island, but many of their homes were now either non-existent or uninhabitable.

Tears filled Tara's eyes as she surveyed the remains of the dock. She knew that Kilika would rebuild, as they had done so many times in the past. Gian wondered how many more times it would be necessary.

Tara stared at a blitzball that was floating just a few feet from what remained of the dock. She knew the child the ball belonged to, and she knew it was his favorite toy.

"This has to stop. Nobody should have to live like this," she sobbed. "No more!"

The people of Spira had lived under the constant terror of Sin for almost a thousand years. Calling it living, though, was a stretch. With tears still welling in her eyes, she stood silent for a few moments and then made her decision. She turned to face the man she instinctively knew she would always be able to depend on.

"Would you be my guardian?"


	3. Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins

**Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins  
**

Tara emerged from Kilika Temple's Chamber of the Fayth. The mysterious joining ritual between Fayth and Summoner left her dizzy and exhausted. She had trouble keeping her balance as she made her way down the steps, walking very slowly and gingerly. At the halfway mark, she lost her balance and fell into Gian's arms. She looked up at her guardian with a weak smile on her face.

"Hey… guess who's a summoner now…"

"Congratulations, Lady Tara." Gian smiled and gently carried the summoner into one of the resting rooms in the temple.

"Congratulations to you too, Sir Gian," she replied, before losing consciousness.

When Tara awoke, she saw Gian reading while sitting on one of the resting room's sofas.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" he teased, knowing just how much the joining process had taken out of her.

"Mmmm… morning... What? Morning? How long was I asleep?"

"You got a good honest nine hours in, but at least we know you don't snore!" The guardian could not resist needling her just a bit. It was all in good fun. Tara smiled meekly.

"I brought you coffee this time," Gian continued, "and when you're finished, we have to go back to my place. I have something to give you."

Tara giggled so hard that she almost snorted.

"That's what she said!"

"It's something for Spira's new summoner," Gian replied, while shaking his head in mock annoyance.

After Tara got dressed and made herself presentable, the pair made their way back through the jungle, towards the remains of Kilika Dock.

Gian's cabin had also suffered damage during Sin's attack. But due to the fact that his cabin was so much further inland, the damage was not as extensive as that of many other homes that were now partially or wholly non-existent. The guardian disappeared into his bedroom closet and emerged with a beautiful summoner's staff.

"This is for you."

"Gian, this is beautiful! Where did you get it?" Tara replied, marveling at the staff. It was a work of art, adorned with intricate engraved designs.

"It belonged to my mother. She was a summoner too, but she died before she completed her pilgrimage. I was a kid when it happened. Even though this staff is all I have left of her, I can't think of a better home for it. I know she'd want you to have it."

Tara admired the beautiful staff, and then looked at her guardian solemnly.

"I'll treasure this forever."

Most of the villagers gathered at the jungle entrance grounds behind the dock to witness Tara's first summoning. She nervously looked to Gian, who gave her a confident nod. Concentrating deeply, she gripped the middle of the staff and spun it so the engraved head made a circle in front of her. She then held the staff outwards and straight up, finally lowering it so that the heel almost touched the ground.

A flaming circle appeared around the summoner with another design, in the middle, that resembled a plus sign. Tara felt the ground shake underneath her feet. A frightening creature with reddish-brown fur, and fists and a tail of fire, emerged from deep within the ground. The creature flew skyward with such force that it carried Tara along with it. As they began to fall, Tara landed gently, in a sitting position, on the creature's outstretched arm. The powerful being landed on its feet, and lowered its summoner to the ground. The villagers admired the majestic and wondrous form of the Aeon of Fire, Ifrit.

Tara smiled at the cheering crowd in front of her. She looked over to Gian who was also smiling. She turned to her aeon and gently patted its cheek.

"I dismiss you, Ifrit. Thank you for coming."

The creature disappeared into a cloud of smoke that dissipated rapidly, as the crowd continued to cheer. Many of the island children ran to the new summoner to congratulate her.

"Lady Tara! That was awesome!" an older boy exclaimed, thrilled by what he had seen.

Smiling the entire time, Tara greeted all the children and the rest of the onlookers too. She felt that her new title would take some getting used to. She had simply been Tara her entire life. Now, she was something more. She was now a summoner, and it was customary to refer to her as "Lady."

After the celebration, Tara and Gian decided to take a walk, and quickly found themselves in the field behind Kilika Temple. Gian smiled and gazed into Tara's eyes.

"That really was incredible, you know."

"Really?" Tara blushed. "Do you think I could become High Summoner?"

"I think you could do just about anything you set out to do."

If Tara's smile wasn't the most beautiful thing Gian had ever seen, it certainly was high on the list.

"We should probably go back now. We have to get up early. We have a journey ahead of us now."

"The Isle of Besaid. I haven't been there in a while," the summoner said softly. "It will be nice to see it again.

As the pair began to make their way back toward the dock, Gian felt Tara's hand wrap around his, holding it gently. He gave Tara's hand a gentle squeeze in return. He appreciated the gesture; it helped to take his mind off what was to come.

After Tara had retired for the evening, Gian decided to go out to the dock one last time. He stared out at the water, thinking about every place they would see together, every trial they would undertake, and the resolution that he dreaded more than anything else.

"Son, I've known Tara her whole life." Gian turned around to see Roman who had joined him. "I bounced her on my knee when she was a little baby, and I watched her grow up into the beautiful young woman she is today. She's one of the brightest rays of sunshine our little island has ever had to offer. In some ways, she's all we have left. Always be there for her and protect her as best you can. She needs you."

"You have my word, Roman. I will never let anything happen to her. I will protect her...with my life, if need be."

Morning came and the pair boarded the ship headed to Besaid. The villagers had all wished them luck. It was a solemn moment, because most everyone, except the children, knew what it meant. Tara stood on the ship's deck and gazed out towards Kilika Dock with sadness in her eyes. She knew she would not be returning…no summoner had ever returned from their pilgrimage after completing it. Those who faced Sin always died in doing so, regardless of victory or defeat, but nobody seemed to know why.

Gian could see the sadness on Tara's face. He vowed that she would not die if he could help it. He would save her.

Somehow, he would find a way.


	4. Chapter 3 - Besaid Island

**Chapter 3 - Besaid Island  
**

It was a relatively short and quiet voyage to the Isle of Besaid. Tara had left the cabin below decks to find Gian staring out at the water, and she found herself curious as to what was bothering her guardian.

"Something on your mind?" she asked.

"The pilgrimage. You know what happens at the end, right?"

"Yes," Tara replied, looking downward toward the deck.

"I'm not going to let that happen," Gian was resolute. "There has to be a way to defeat Sin, and not lose you in doing so. I don't know how yet, but there has to be a way. I'll find it. I promise you this."

Tara walked into Gian's arms and laid her head upon his shoulder, and the two of them spent the next several moments enjoying the ocean's tranquility.

Tara took a look around as their boat arrived at the dock in Besaid a few hours later.

"Besaid Island. It's as beautiful as I remember it."

Gian took a look at the beach and saw a couple of boats moored to the dock, along with a rack with several pairs of oars and other boating equipment resting upon it. He also saw several small children passing and kicking a blitzball amongst each other.

As the pair made their way towards the beach, Gian noticed that one of the children had misdirected his kick, and the blitzball flew straight toward Tara.

"It's okay, Gian, I got this." Tara caught the ball and whipped it back towards the children.

One member of the group ran toward the summoner. He appeared to be the leader of the group, a tanned child with a spike of orange hair just above his forehead.

"Nice pass, ya!" the child remarked. "Where you learn to do that?"

"I'm from Kilika," the summoner replied, smiling at the child. "There's not much to do there."

"I'm Wakka! What's your name?"

"I'm Tara, and this is Gian. It's nice to meet you, Wakka."

One of the other children threw the ball towards Gian, who caught it and passed it back towards the group.

"Gian, come on. Let's go practice some Blitzball!" Tara was clearly in a playful mood.

"Do we really have time for this?" the guardian questioned.

"We're on a pilgrimage, I know," replied the summoner. "But there's no reason we can't have some fun along the way, right?"

Gian thought about it, and smiled. "You're right. Let's do it!"

For the next half hour or so, Tara and Gian practiced different blitzball techniques with the children, and Tara even offered a few pointers here and there as the children soaked up all of the information. One of the other children walked up to Tara.

"I'm Chappu! You're pretty good. You ever play on a team?" Tara appreciated the compliment.

"No, I'm not really that good. I just like to exercise a lot, and blitzball is a pretty fun game. I leave the actual competition to the real players."

The pair continued their practice with the children when they heard a scream coming from somewhere just up the road leading toward the village.

"Gian, did you hear that?" Tara asked, concerned. "Let's go see what's wrong."

The pair discovered a little girl who had somehow managed to get her foot stuck in between several mid-sized rocks that had fallen from higher up the mountain face. Advancing on the child was a large ant-like creature. The guardian prepared for action.

"Tara, take care of the girl. I'll take care of ugly."

The guardian drew his sword and stepped forward to execute a textbook diagonal upward slash which split the creature in two, causing it to disappear into a cloud of pyreflies. The girl was in a great deal of pain as Tara offered comfort.

"Everything is going to be okay, sweetie. Don't you worry."

"What happened?" Gian asked as he began to remove the rocks that were surrounding the girl's foot.

The child whimpered, "I… I wandered out here by myself. I know I'm not supposed to. I slipped and fell, and got my foot stuck. And then…that…wanted to get me!"

"You're right. You shouldn't have wandered out here by yourself." Gian replied. "It can be dangerous and fiends love pretty little girls."

The guardian finished removing the rocks, freeing the little girl's foot, and then Tara examined it, making sure nothing was broken.

"Don't you worry, we can fix this, right Gian?" The guardian nodded. "What's your name, sweetie?" Tara asked as she gently wrapped her arms around the child.

"Rayann" came the response as the girl clung to the summoner.

"Nothing appears to be broken," Gian noted. He placed his hands around the girl's foot and ankle, and began to concentrate. Finally, he spoke.

"Cure."

A green aura emanated from the guardian's hands and flowed into the child's foot and ankle. A few moments later, Rayann was smiling, no longer in pain.

"You didn't break anything, but you did twist that ankle pretty well. It'll be okay until we return to the village. We'll need to cure it again, and you'll need to stay off it for a while, okay?" The girl nodded.

The summoner introduced herself to the girl. "My name is Tara, and this is Gian."

Rayann noticed the bow on Tara's top – the special bow that all summoners wore. "Wow, are you a... summoner?" The child spoke that last word with a certain reverence.

"I sure am, sweetie!"

Tara noticed the unmistakable look of hope on Rayann's face, as the girl continued, "Are you gonna bring us the Calm?" Rayann was referring to the period after Sin's defeat. A period of peace that lasts an undetermined amount of time before Sin's re-emergence.

Tara gazed at the child - such a beautiful little girl with big grey eyes and long blonde hair. She wanted nothing more for this child than to be able to grow up and live her life never again experiencing the terror of Sin.

"Yes. I will. You can count on it."

Rayann threw herself into a big hug with the summoner as Gian stood, surveying the road leading to Besaid Village.

"We should get on back to the village. Can you walk now, Rayann?"

Rayann stood up and gingerly put weight onto her ankle and foot, seeing if everything was okay.

"I… I think so…"

The trio began to make their way back to Besaid Village when another large ant-like creature appeared and blocked their path.

"You've seen this kind before," Tara said, confidently. "He's pretty easy to deal with. Right, Gian?"

With another sword slash, another fiend was dispatched. Rayann grinned as the guardian shot her a wink. The trio did not make it very far when the next attacker presented itself. It was a jiggly blue Water Flan. This time, Gian spoke.

"My sword will be useless against this guy. But there's always more than one way to get the job done." The guardian sheathed his sword and handed Rayann a lightning gem. "I want you to toss this so it lands right in front of Jiggly, there."

Rayann giggled at Gian's nickname for the fiend. She tossed the lightning gem and it landed just an inch or two in front of the creature. A bolt of lightning struck the fiend. It jiggled violently and exploded into pyreflies.

"Wow…that was awesome!" Rayann remarked, having never seen fiends dealt with so easily before.

The three had almost made it to the village when they were again attacked, this time by what appeared to be a wolf-like creature.

"This one's mine," Tara stated.

She stepped forward to cast a fire spell which sent the creature running away, howling the entire time – much to the delight of the giggling Rayann.

The sky had grown dark because of a gigantic bird that had swooped down above them. Rayann became very nervous.

"Uh oh… Gian, can you beat that?" She pointed toward the gruesome flying creature, with a worried look on her face.

"Well, I could," offered the guardian, "but let's see what Tara can really do!"

Tara performed the summoning ritual once more. And once more, the ground shook and Ifrit appeared. She patted the creature's cheek and pointed her staff toward the flying beast. Ifrit sprang into action. He dug up a portion of the ground and flung it skyward. He then jumped high into the air to meet the debris. The aeon pounded the rocks straight into the fiend, causing it to explode into pyreflies. Rayann was jumping and cheering the whole time. Tara was about to dismiss her aeon when she heard Rayann's voice.

"Can I touch him?" Surprisingly, the girl was not afraid of the aeon at all.

The summoner looked at her aeon. "Ifrit?"

The aeon rumbled softly, hunching down low onto all fours, so the little girl could pet him. She turned toward Tara with a huge grin as Ifrit disappeared. The trio finally made their way to Besaid village where Rayann's mother hurriedly ran to her child. Rayann hugged her mother, and softly spoke.

"I'm sorry for wandering off. I won't do it any more, I promise. These nice people helped me!" Rayann's mother held her child tightly, relieved that she was safe.

Tara emerged from Besaid Temple's Chamber of the Fayth a couple of hours later, after having made her way through the trials with Gian's help. She was still dizzy and exhausted, but this time she needed no help making it down the stairs. She walked straight into her guardian's arm and laid her head upon his shoulder.

"I must be getting better at this…" the summoner mused aloud before losing consciousness.

After a short rest, the pair made their way toward the village's center square, where Tara summoned the shining silver, bird-like aeon Valefor, to the delight of the villagers – including Rayann. As Tara greeted the villagers, Rayann's mother spoke with Gian.

"I'd like to thank you for helping my daughter. She likes to run off a lot, but I think she's learned her lesson this time."

"She's a great kid," the guardian remarked. "Tara and I want nothing more than for her to be able to grow up in a world that no longer has to live in fear of Sin. And we are going to do everything we can to make that happen."

"Good luck to you both!" Rayann's mother exclaimed as she hugged the guardian.

Tara took one long last look at the village. She then turned to Gian.

"Well, where shall we go next?"

"Luca," came the guardian's reply. "We have all of Spira to see, and we don't want to miss anything."


	5. Chapter 4 - Luca

Chapter 4 - Luca

Tara and Gian had just boarded the boat that was headed to Luca. The guardian paused to take a look around the deck. He noted that this particular boat was a lot more crowded than the boat they were on previously. He saw players from three different blitzball teams – the Kilika Beasts, Besaid Aurochs, and Al Bhed Psyches. Three blitzball teams on the same boat was an invitation for in-sphere pool rivalries to spill outside of the sphere pool. He looked over toward Tara.

"This should be an interesting trip, wouldn't you say?"

Tara had to suppress a giggle. "I think so! I hope they all remember to save their energy for the game!

Tara was pleased that Gian had become a supporter of his new home team, the Kilika Beasts. Even the guardian's day-to-day garb resembled something similar to the Beasts' standard blitzball uniform. She had been a lifelong fan of the team, and while they had never won Spira's annual championship tournament, they had always managed to make a respectable showing for themselves. The Luca Goers had always been the best team in Spira, and they always won the championship every year. Both hoped that this year would be different.

Tara introduced Gian to the Beasts players. As the guardian shook hands with the team members, he spoke.

"So how are things looking this year? Do you have a shot?"

"I really think we do have a shot this year," the team captain Darno replied. "This year's team is better than anything I've ever seen before. The Goers are gonna be in for the fight of their lives!"

Tara chimed in, "I hope you're right! We'd love for you to bring that Crystal Cup back to Kilika Temple this year. We'll both be pulling for you!"

"And we'll be pulling for you as well, Lady Tara! You bring us the Calm, and we'll take care of the Cup!"

"Deal!" the summoner high-fived the blitz player.

As the pair wished the team luck, the boat shook violently, and waves of water crashed upon the deck. Loud screams were heard from the crew members.

"Sin!"

Gian looked towards the ship's bow and saw a huge fin protruding from the water. The guardian turned back toward the deck where he saw one of the crewmates readying a harpoon.

"What are you doing?" the guardian asked, incredulously. "If you harpoon it, we'll just get dragged along! This boat can't handle that kind of stress. You'll get us all killed!"

"Sir Gian, we've gotta do something!" the crewmate exclaimed. "Our families are in trouble!"

The harpoon cannon fired and the harpoon buried itself into Sin's dorsal fin. The cable from the harpoon tightened and the boat began to be dragged along behind the immense creature.

The stress of being dragged behind Sin was too much for the harpoon cable and it snapped. Sin submerged and appeared to go on about its business, ignoring the boat as it slowed to a standstill – still in one piece.

"We got lucky on that one," Tara observed. "Or…did we?" Her voice trailed off as she noticed a swarm of Sinspawn heading straight for the deck.

"Everybody below decks!" the guardian shouted, "And close the doors!"

As the swarm of Sinspawn arrived, sticking right into the deck, Gian noted that there were too many of them to count. The guardian stood out in front of his summoner and began to cut down as many Sinspawn as he could. Tara hurled fire, lighting, and ice spells from behind Gian's perimeter of protection as quickly as she could, as there was no time to summon. Finally, the pair managed to eliminate the Sinspawn. They dropped to their knees, fatigued, relieved that the battle was over with. They failed to notice one remaining Sinspawn behind them, however, and it was poised to strike.

"Noooooooo!" came a little voice from behind the mast.

Gian looked behind him to see a Sinspawn, and right next to it, he saw an ice gem land. The gem exploded, freezing the Sinspawn solid. Hurriedly, the guardian tossed the frozen Sinspawn overboard.

"Where did that come from?" Tara asked, but then looked over towards the mast to see the smiling Rayann.

"Rayann!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Mommy and I are going to the blitzball tournament! You going too?" The little girl replied as she jumped into Tara's arms.

"We sure are," the summoner replied, "and it looks like we owe you some thanks this time!"

"You've gotten pretty good at using those gems, haven't you," the guardian noted.

"I practiced a bit! I listened to what you told me about using gems," the girl replied as she gave Gian a hug. "My foot is all better now too, thanks to you!"

"Rayann! There you are!" the girl's mother exclaimed as she ran to her daughter. "You promised me you weren't going to run off anymore!"

"I know, Mommy, I'm sorry," the child replied, "But a fiend was gonna get Tara and Gian! I couldn't let that happen. Not after they helped me!" Rayann's mother breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems everybody is okay. No harm done," the guardian noted. "Tara and I are a bit whupped though, that was one heck of a fight. We should go below decks and rest up." He spoke to the child once more. "So you're going to the blitzball tournament too, huh?"

"Uh huh! And the Aurochs are gonna win this year!" the child giggled.

"I don't think so!" the guardian playfully teased. "Beasts all the way!"

"No way!" Rayann stuck her tongue out and made a face at the guardian.

Rayann's mother introduced herself as Lana, giggling while watching Rayann and Gian going back and forth over which blitzball team was the better team.

"Gian?" Tara called, catching the guardian's attention. "Lana and I are going to get some refreshments while you children argue over blitzball, okay?" Tara's smirk was unmistakable.

"Coffee! Two creams!" the guardian replied, intending to not be one-upped by Tara's teasing.

"Ice cream!" Rayann exclaimed.

Tara and Lana laughed as they made their way to the galley to gather up the refreshments. After a few moments, Lana's demeanor became a bit more serious.

"Lady Tara, I was just wondering. Have you noticed anything unusual during your pilgrimage?"

"Please, just call me Tara," the summoner replied. "We haven't really seen much of anything yet. What are you referring to?"

"It could be nothing, I'm not really sure, but I've heard rumors of summoners disappearing while on their pilgrimage. It may or may not be true, but I was just wondering if you've seen or experienced anything odd."

"Aside from that last battle up on the deck, everything has been relatively calm, in a manner of speaking." Tara knew that they had not come even close to being tested so early in their pilgrimage. "We really haven't seen much of anything that we didn't expect."

"Well, do be careful. All of us are pulling for you, and you know Rayann just absolutely adores you both."

"Lana, I hope you don't find this too personal, or too out of line for me to ask, but… where is Rayann's father?"

"He died." Lana said softly. "He died fighting Sin. Rayann was just a baby when it happened. She didn't even really know him. In a way, it's almost a better situation than what it could have been if she were older."

"I'm so sorry," the summoner replied as she hugged the woman. "It's sad to say, but most people in Spira have lost a loved one to Sin. That's why Gian and I are on pilgrimage. We want to put a stop to it. We want for all of Spira to live free without the nightmare of Sin hanging over us."

"You absolutely have my support. I can't thank you enough for what you and Gian have done for Rayann and myself."

"She's a wonderful little girl and you've done well with her. If Gian and I can help it, she'll have her whole life ahead of her – and you too, you know. You're still pretty young, yourself!"

The women exchanged another hug as their boat arrived at the dock in Luca.

"I guess we'll have to get that coffee and ice cream to go!" Tara quipped. The pair exchanged a laugh and made their way above decks. "Let's go get the rest of our crew!"

The foursome left the dock area and gazed upon Luca, the second-largest city in all of Spira.

Gian handed Lana some gil, enough to pay for all of their game tickets.

"Lana, would you do the honors with the tickets? The games are on me today. Tara and I want to take a look around, first."

Lana smiled at the guardian's generosity.

"Alright, but please hurry. The first round starts in an hour. Rayann and I will be waiting for you."

As Tara and Gian began to explore the city, Tara seemed concerned.

"Gian, we should keep our eyes peeled. Lana said something about a rumor she'd heard - something about summoners disappearing on their pilgrimages."

"Who could be behind that?" the guardian asked.

"She didn't really know," the summoner replied, "and she wasn't entirely sure it was accurate. We should be careful just the same."

"Don't worry," the guardian reassured. "As long as we stick together, we'll be fine. Shall we go?"

The pair proceeded into the city of Luca although Tara was still worried.

"I don't have a good feeling about this. Something tells me we'll find out what's going on first-hand. And I don't think we'll have to wait very long either."


	6. Chapter 5 - Blitzball Time

**Chapter 5 - Blitzball Time**

Tara and Gian had made their way through the residential section of Luca and found nothing out of the ordinary and decided to return to the blitzball stadium.

"Summoners disappearing?" Gian asked, looking troubled. "This isn't by accident. Someone's behind this."

"But who could it be?" Tara responded. "There has to be a reason."

"It doesn't matter to me what the reason is. If someone thinks they're going to mess with you, they'll have me to deal with." The guardian was not happy with the prospect of an anti-summoner conspiracy.

"I really don't know," Tara replied. "Let's just continue about our business and take things as they come."

Gian agreed, but was clearly not happy with this most recent development. The pair had made their way back to the pier area, headed towards the blitzball stadium, when they found themselves surrounded by several machina robots.

"What are these things?" the summoner asked.

"Machina. Robots." Gian answered, then paused, struck with an idea. "Use water. Short them out."

Tara cast a couple of water spells and the magic had its desired effect. Gian cut down the remainder of the robots with precision sword work. When the next wave of machina robots appeared, they were dealt with in the same manner. The third wave of machina, however, seemed to be new and improved versions, and they were proving to be more difficult to dispatch. Gian attempted to cut one of them down, and he felt a powerful shock run through his body as his sword made contact with the robot.

"Okay, that's not going to work!" he exclaimed, shaking off the effects of the jolt.

A few more robots entered the picture and the pair was completely surrounded.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" the summoner exclaimed as the robots continued their attack.

She began the summoning ritual and the shining silver bird-like aeon Valefor emerged from a flash from high up in the sky. Valefor floated above the pier and cast her energy beam, frying all of the machina in the area. The resulting explosion was very loud and its force threw Gian against the wall of the blitzball stadium. After reorienting himself, he turned to look for Tara, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Tara? Tara! Where are you?" he shouted as he ran down the length of the pier, looking for his summoner. He heard explosions at the far end, and made his way towards the disturbance.

Gian was shocked at what he saw. A gigantic robot with a large clear spherical object for a head – with Tara trapped inside it. The huge machina advanced toward the guardian, swinging a large arm down on top of him. Gian rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed. He looked up to see the other arm headed his way, and rolled again to escape the blow. _Come on, Gian, think of something!_ He noticed several power lines running up the back of the machine. He knew he couldn't cut them – having remembered the shock he received from the last robot he tried to cut down. He suspected that the answer might be in the elements.

The guardian only had a few gems of any variety left as he had given many of them to Rayann, so the girl would have the means to protect herself. He was wishing that he had a few more of them left, when an idea struck. He hurled one of the fire gems directly at the wall behind the robot. The fire gem bounced off the wall and landed directly at the back of the robot's feet. He knew that fire would not damage the machine itself, but it might melt the power lines. His gamble paid off as the machine froze in place.

Sword work took care of the now-inert machine. It fell to its knees and then face down upon the pier. The round sphere had rolled off the machine's shoulders and disintegrated upon contact with the ground, freeing Tara who was shaken by the impact, but otherwise unharmed.

After making sure that Tara was okay, Gian hugged his summoner tightly, relieved.

"Tara, who did this to you?" the guardian asked.

"It was…" she replied, still disoriented from her fall. "It was...the Al Bhed!"

If Gian was angry before, he was really angry now. While he had never had any great love for the Al Bhed, he often angered the Yevon clergy with his defense of the people that he viewed as having been treated unfairly because of their beliefs.

"Let's go," he implored, taking Tara's hand.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To get some answers."

"Gian, please… don't do anything rash!" The summoner was now very fearful – for the Al Bhed blitz players.

The guardian stopped and looked directly into Tara's eyes.

"Tara, these people kidnapped you. For what reason, I don't know. Who knows what they would have done had I not been here? They did this and I want to know why."

The pair made their way to the locker room of the Al Bhed Psyches. Gian went straight for the team captain, hurling him up against the locker room wall – with his forearm on the man's throat.

"Why was my summoner taken? You'd better answer me right now or you'll never blitz again, I promise you."

One of the other team members came up behind the guardian. Gian struck back with his elbow, knocking the man onto the floor.

"I'm waiting!" the guardian implored, turning his attention back to the blitz captain.

"Bmayca!" the Al Bhed captain stammered, "E ghuf hudrehk! E's zicd y pmedwan!"

"Gian!" a voice spoke from the other end of the locker room. He turned to see the face of Rin, an Al Bhed merchant he had befriended months earlier.

"What did he just say, Rin?" the guardian asked.

"He says he knows nothing. He's just a blitz player. Please, Gian…let him go. He's been here all day and I very much doubt he's had anything to do with anything"

Gian turned back to the blitzer, his forearm still on the man's throat.

"You send a message to your people. If anybody even thinks about messing with the summoner Tara, I promise you, I'll be back. You think I'm in a bad mood now, you just try me." He then released the blitzer, who ran from the room with his teammates behind him.

Gian turned to the merchant. "Rin, what the hell is going on here?"

"I can only speculate," the merchant stated. "I cannot say for sure. I have not been amongst my people for quite some time. But I get the impression that things are not quite what they appear to be. I'm truly sorry, I wish I could tell you more."

"Thanks Rin." The guardian was starting to calm down. "Tara, this is Rin. He's a merchant that I met several months ago. Anything I buy, I buy from him."

Tara shook hands with the merchant. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Rin."

"Equally nice to meet you as well, Lady Tara. Please, just call me Rin."

"This has been quite the experience." Tara was relieved that the situation didn't escalate out of control. "Perhaps we can enjoy the games now, and things will return to normal?"

"Yes," the guardian spoke, "we should probably get to the stadium. We've probably missed the first game already. We'll see you later, Rin. We'll need to stock up before we leave Luca."

"I look forward to it," the merchant replied as he shook hands with both guardian and summoner.

As the pair made their way to the blitz arena, they were stopped by a young girl working the ticket booth.

"Excuse me, are you Gian by chance?"

"Yes," the guardian stated. "Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem. Here are your tickets. The woman who purchased them left them here for you. She described you and…well…you kinda look like what she described."

Tara smiled at the girl. "Thank you so much, we were afraid we'd have to buy more tickets to get in!"

"Oh it's no trouble at all. Enjoy the games!"

"Thank you," the guardian offered, then turned to his summoner. "Well, what else can happen today? The day isn't over yet, you know."

"Blitzball, I hope - and nothing else. I'm not sure I could handle any more excitement today!"

Tara and Gian made their way up to their seats where Rayann and Lana were waiting.

"What took you so long?" Lana asked.

Tara smiled and replied "A little…shall we say…unexpected excitement."

"And I missed it?" Rayann seemed disappointed.

"You don't need any more excitement," the guardian teased. "How are the games going?"

"As you already knew, the Goers got a first round bye, because they won the championship last year," Lana explained, "But you'll also be pleased to know that your Kilika Beasts also drew a first round bye. They'll play the winners of the Al Bhed vs. Ronso matchup"

"The Aurochs lost…" mumbled a dejected Rayann.

"Yes, you missed that game," remarked Lana. "They lost to the Guado team 5-2."

The tournament progressed with the Luca Goers defeating the Guado Glories, which earned Luca a trip to the championship round. On the other side of the bracket, the Ronso Fangs defeated the Al Bhed Psyches in the opening round. The Kilika Beasts went on to defeat the Ronso Fangs, setting up the championship match between the Kilika Beasts and the Luca Goers.

"Go Beasts!" Rayann shouted, while standing on her seat.

Gian looked over towards Rayann. "Oh, now you come around!" he teased - his previous anger clearly having subsided.

"Since my Aurochs didn't win, I want the Goers to lose!"

The stadium was packed for the championship game. Luca fielded what was easily the most skilled team in Spira, but the Beasts played with heart that had never been seen before. Halftime came with neither team having scored.

The crowd was buzzing because nobody had ever seen the Luca Goers held scoreless for an entire half. The Beasts had put on a defensive display that was unparalleled, and they were starting to win over many members of the hometown crowd. Tara was almost shaking with anticipation at the start of the second half.

"They might actually do it!" she exclaimed. "They might actually win!"

It did not take long for the Goers to draw first blood in the second half. But before the crowd energy could subside, Kilika fired back, tying the score at one. The entire crowd was on their feet with a minute left to play. Lanzo, the Beasts forward, intercepted the ball from the Luca captain and executed a long forward pass to team captain Darno, who found himself quickly surrounded. Seeing his opening, Darno faked out the Goers captain and passed back to Lanzo, who put everything he had into what would end up being the final shot of the game. The crowd noise was deafening, as the ball sailed past the fingers of the Luca goalie as time expired. The Kilika Beasts had won 2-1, and they were now champions for the first time in club history.

There was no time to celebrate though, as the sphere pool drained and the stadium became overrun with fiends. The shrieks from the crowd were deafening and people were pushing past one another, trying to exit the stadium.

"What the hell?" Tara exclaimed.

"I'll give you two guesses…" the guardian dryly remarked. "Stick close to me!"

Gian began to cut down as many fiends as he could. Tara summoned Valefor who, once again, took many of the fiends out with her energy beam. Still, it was not enough. The guardian heard a voice behind him.

"Looks like you could use a little help maybe?"

The guardian turned around to see the smiling face of Darno, the Beasts captain, who had cobbled together many of the members of the Kilika, Besaid, Guado, Ronso, and Luca teams. Each had a spiked blitzball, and they were ready to fight.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Darno shouted. "Let's blitz!"

"Let's blitz!" came the roar from the very large and formidable blitzball squad.

Fighting as a full-fledged team, the fiends were taken out in fairly short order. Even Rayann was tossing gems from the stands and she had taken a couple of fiends out as well. Many of the fans who were previously trying to escape the blitzball stadium changed their mind, and they stayed behind to watch the battle. Loud cheers were heard throughout the fight, and even louder cheers were heard once the fiends were finally dispatched.

Brazek, the Luca captain, high-fived Darno, exclaiming, "Hell, this was more fun than the game!"

"You guys were awesome!" replied the Kilika captain. "Thanks for helping out! Great game, too!"

"Agreed, and congratulations," Brazek offered. "You guys were the better team today and you deserved to win."

"Thanks again, for everything!" The two blitzers hugged, sharing a bond that transcended any in-game rivalries.

Tara laid her head upon Gian's shoulder, admiring the sportsmanship between the two blitz captains.

Afterwards, Gian and Darno shook hands once again.

"Thanks for the help. And congratulations to you, as well," the guardian offered. "That was one hell of a game. I've never seen anything like it. You guys are champions now!

Darno was gushing. "And it feels damn good too!"

"I knew you could do it! Tara exclaimed as she hugged the blitz captain. "You kept your part of the deal, so count on us to keep ours!"

"I look forward to it, Lady Tara, truly!" Darno looked at the guardian once again. "So what was all that about anyway? Where did all those fiends come from?"

"It was the Al Bhed. They're after Tara. We don't know why, though."

"Well, that's not very bright of them. I'm glad the two of you are on our side!" laughed the blitzer. "I can't promise anything, but I'll poke around some. If I learn anything, I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Darno." The guardian and blitzer shook hands once again. "So what's next for you?"

"Well, we'll keep practicing and playing." Darno replied. "We have a dynasty to build here. The two of you have taught us that anything is possible if you have heart and you work hard enough for it! What about you?"

"We'll continue our journey," the guardian replied. "The Mi'ihen Highroad is just outside of Luca. We'll travel that way towards Djose. I hear there's another aeon there. It's worth checking out at least."

"I wish you luck. And watch out for those Al Bhed!"

"Take care of yourself, Darno," Tara spoke as she hugged the blitzer once more.

"And you too. Both of you, be safe!"

The pair made their way back to the dock to see Lana and Rayann off, on their trip back to Besaid.

"Well, that was quite a day, wasn't it?" Gian remarked. "I hope you enjoyed the tournament, and the post-game show."

Lana chuckled. "I think we've had more than enough excitement to last us for a while. But it was a fun tournament. And I'm glad everything worked out okay. So you will continue on your journey?"

"Yes," Tara replied. "We have a long road ahead of us. We've only just gotten started."

Tears fell from Rayann's eyes. "I'm gonna miss you, Tara, promise me you'll come back?" the girl asked as she hugged the summoner.

"You better believe it!" Tara responded, as Rayann's tears were replaced by a huge smile. "We're gonna be around for a long, long time!"

"Be good, and don't wander off anymore." spoke the guardian, as the little girl hugged him.

"I won't, I promise. I'll miss you, Gian!"

"I'll miss you too. Have a safe trip and be good!"

After all the hugs and goodbyes where exchanged, Lana and Rayann walked up the ramp to board their ship. The guardian called out to the little girl once more.

The child turned around and the guardian tossed her another small pouch of gems. Rayann's smile was from ear to ear.

At the entrance to the Mi'ihen Highroad, Tara remarked, "That was quite a day, wasn't it, Gian?"

"It sure was! I could use a little peace and quiet - and some coffee!"

"Let's go," the summoner replied. "The sooner we get down the road, the sooner we can get that coffee. I can't believe you've gotten me addicted to that stuff too!"

"There are worse addictions out there."

Both summoner and guardian shared a laugh. Together, hand in hand, they began to make their way down the Mi'ihen Highroad.


	7. Chapter 6 - The Highroad

**Chapter 6 - The Highroad**

Tara and Gian's trip down the Mi'ihen Highroad was not very exciting in comparison to their time in Luca. The pair encountered the occasional machina robot, wolf-like creature, flan, and flying beast, all of which were dealt with in short order. They paused when they arrived at the statue of Lord Mi'ihen.

"Tara, do you know who this is?" Gian asked. When Tara shook her head in response, he explained. "This is Lord Mi'ihen. He started a faction centuries ago, a faction that would become today's Crusaders."

"Ah, yes," Tara replied, "I know who the Crusaders are."

"Lord Mi'ihen's faction fought Sin at every turn, using unconventional means, namely, means forbidden by Yevon. Their ranks grew all over Spira. However, the Maesters didn't like that. They feared an uprising, so they branded Lord Mi'ihen a traitor. Lord Mi'ihen walked down this very road towards Bevelle, to challenge the Maesters and refute their charges. He actually did manage to convince the Maesters that he was doing a good thing. The Maesters relented, and made his faction an official arm of Yevon. That's how the Crusaders came to be."

"That explains the Mi'ihen part of things," Tara replied. "But why is it called a Highroad?"

"A couple of reasons were commonly offered," the guardian explained, "the first reason being because of the height of the road – I mean, take a look...we're pretty high up here! The second reason was that Lord Mi'ihen was reputed to have 'taken the high road' in dealing with the Maesters, instead of confronting them in...shall we say...a less diplomatic manner."

"So which do you believe, Gian?"

The guardian chuckled. "I kinda think it's a bit of both. That's what I've always believed, at least."

"You sure know your history, don't you?" Tara smiled at him. She then did a double-take as several large yellow birds ran right past her. "Whoa! What in blazes was that?"

"Chocobos!" The guardian had a huge smile on his face. "What, you've never ridden a chocobo before?"

"Ridden one? I've never even seen one before! We don't have these things in Kilika, you know! You actually ride them?"

"Oh Tara, you haven't lived! There's a chocobo stable down the road. You're in for a treat!"

"Gian, I don't know about this…" Tara seemed very nervous.

"Chocobos love people. They're the friendliest creatures in all of Spira! We'll find you a nice bird. You'll love them once you get used to them. Don't worry, just trust me. You're about to have more fun than you've ever had. And I know you like fun!"

"True... True..." she remarked, though her tone and expression were dubious "Still, I don't know..."

As the pair made their way further down the highroad, they saw the chocobo stable. Right next to the stable was a brand new building with a sign up top that read "Travel Agency."

"Hmm, that's new," the guardian noted. "I haven't seen that before. Let's go check it out."

They approached the building and they were greeted by none other than Rin.

"Welcome, Lady Tara and Sir Gian!"

The guardian smiled upon seeing his friend. "Rin, please tell me you have some coffee in there."

"But of course," the merchant replied. "I even have extra stock as I knew you both would be headed this way. And how is the Lady Tara?"

"The Lady Tara is fine," the summoner dryly quipped. "But she's also extremely nervous about riding these giant birds that her beloved guardian seems to love so much. First things first: let's get that coffee!"

"Ah, Lady Tara, you have nothing to fear from the Chocobos. If you've never seen one before, I suppose they could seem intimidating. Once you've been around them for a bit, you will come to love and trust them. Please, come inside. I have coffee for you both, straight from Kilika."

Gian was already halfway through the door. "You don't have to tell me twice!"

As the three sat down to enjoy their coffee, the guardian admired the decor of the building.

"This is a nice place you have here, Rin. When did you get into the travel agency business?"

"Very recently," the merchant replied. "It is my dream to open travel agencies all over Spira, with each travel agency having its own stores for weapons, armor, sundries… a one-stop shop for travel, if you will. This particular building is my first. I am pleased that you like it."

"If anybody could accomplish that, it'd be you." The guardian began to pour more coffee for the three.

As the trio enjoyed their coffee, a young girl entered the building and walked up to the merchant.

"The chocobos have all been fed and there is fresh water in all of the troughs. Is there anything else you need from me today?"

"No, Alyssa, I think that should take care of everything for today. Oh, I'd like you to meet the summoner Lady Tara and her guardian Sir Gian."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you both!" the girl greeted the summoner and guardian. "Will you be riding some chocobos today?"

Before Tara could protest, Gian quickly remarked "We would _love_ to ride the chocobos today!" The guardian felt a kick against his shin underneath the table while the summoner had a sickeningly sweet smile on her face.

"Lady Tara, have you ever ridden a chocobo before?" Alyssa inquired.

"I'm afraid I haven't, and I'm rather uneasy with the whole prospect."

"Aww, don't worry, Lady Tara. I'll teach you everything you need to know. It's very easy. Let's go outside and we'll get started!"

Tara, Gian, and Alyssa exited the building and walked towards the back of the travel agency where the chocobo stables were. Several birds were walking around the fenced-in area as the three entered. One of the birds walked right up to Tara and laid its head on her shoulder, making a cooing sound - startling the summoner. Alyssa had to suppress a giggle.

"Aww, that's Coco! Look, she likes you!"

Tara nervously reached over to scratch the bird underneath her chin. The bird continued her cooing noise and then walked around in front of the summoner, hunching down low.

"What's she doing?" the summoner asked.

"Coco wants to take you for a ride." Alyssa could sense the summoner's nervousness. "Don't worry, Coco is very gentle. She won't do anything to scare you. Go ahead. Climb on!"

Tara nervously threw her leg over the bird's back and settled into riding position. Coco stood slowly, and began to trot around the stable area, slowly, as to not scare her rider.

"See?" Alyssa remarked. "That's not so bad, is it?"

Tara's nervousness was beginning to subside as she began to grow comfortable with the creature.

"Okay, I think I might be starting to get the hang of this. Let's just go slowly, okay?"

"You got it!" Alyssa looked towards the guardian. "How about you, Sir Gian? Do you need any training?"

"Just Gian will do." The guardian smiled back. "I'm an experienced rider, I'll be fine."

"Excellent!" Alyssa exclaimed, as she noticed a larger bird making his way over towards the guardian. "That's Diablo. You think you can handle him?"

The guardian grinned. "We'll see, won't we?"

Gian looked over toward Tara to see how she was doing. Coco was lightly trotting around the stable area as Tara seemed to be a lot more comfortable with things. He mounted Diablo and then asked Alyssa to open the gate. Coco had stopped just short of the exit and was waiting for Diablo to join her.

The guardian looked over to his summoner. "You seem to be getting along with Coco quite well. Are you ready to go for a little run?"

"I suppose so..." Tara was trying to sound confident but was still a bit nervous.

"Don't worry, Lady Tara. You can trust Coco. She won't let anything happen to you, I promise!" Alyssa reassured.

"Alright, let's do this..." the summoner nervously spoke.

Tara and Gian enjoyed a nice little trot on their chocobos, all the way back to the entrance of the Mi'ihen Highroad. As they turned around to head back to the travel agency, Gian looked over to Tara.

"Ready?"

"Ready?" Tara asked. "Ready for what?"

"Ready to turn 'em loose! Just hang on tight and enjoy the ride and the view!"

Tara could sense her guardian's excitement and decided to put her nervousness aside, to try to enjoy things as much as he seemed to."

"All right then," the guardian prepared. 'Go, Diablo!" The guardian's bird took off on a spirited speed run.

Coco looked back at her rider and made another cooing noise. Tara gripped her reins tightly and spoke the words her chocobo wanted to hear.

"Go, Coco!"

Coco took off after Diablo and caught up to him. Tara looked over towards Gian who had a huge grin on his face.

"Watch this!" exclaimed the guardian.

He steered Diablo past the travel agency and chocobo stables, right up to the edge of the highroad. The elegant bird jumped and began to glide down into the expanse, landing at the entrance to the lower portion of the road, appropriately called "The Lowroad."

"Oh hell no!" the summoner shouted. "Nuh uh! No way! Not a chance! I am NOT doing that!"

Coco stopped and looked back over her shoulder and made another cooing noise.

"Seriously, Coco?"

The bird cooed once more. Tara shrugged as Coco backtracked a bit, in order to give herself some room to make the jump. Remembering Alyssa's promise that Coco wouldn't let anything happen to her, she gripped the reins again tightly, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Go, Coco!"

Tara felt her bird speed up and a few seconds later, she no longer felt the bird's footsteps. She slowly opened her eyes - expecting to be falling. Instead, she noticed she was gracefully gliding through the expanse, slowly making her way down in a wide spiral. Coco's touchdown was so light, the summoner did not even feel it. Before she knew it, she was down in the Lowroad area with her guardian.

"Now tell me that wasn't worth the price of admission!" the guardian quipped.

"Okay, you were right..." she replied, pretending to still be scared. She turned Coco back towards the hills of the Lowroad and proceeded to go back the way they both came.

"Where are you going?" the guardian asked.

"Back up to the top!" the summoner exclaimed. "I wanna do that again, this time with my eyes open!"

They turned back towards the far end of the lowroad, when Gian paused.

"Tara, hold up."

He dismounted Diablo and began to walk towards a gleaming object he saw towards the rock base.

"What is it?" the summoner asked. She saw Gian examining a shiny gold object.

"It's a medallion of some sort. It has an odd inscription on it. It appears to be a star pattern, or constellation. It reads 'Centaurus' at the bottom. It also has a middle section that's carved out, sort of like another piece is supposed to fit inside."

"Interesting!" She remarked. "What could it be for?"

"I don't know. But I have a hunch that it might be important, so I'm gonna keep it." The guardian placed the medallion around his neck, admiring it from different angles.

"Well, aren't you special?" she smirked.

"Who knows? Maybe we'll find another one? It will be interesting to learn what they're for."

The pair made their way back up to the travel agency where they saw a horrified Alyssa.

"Lady Tara! Help us, please!"

"What's wrong, Alyssa?" the summoner asked, concerned.

"The chocobos!" Alyssa wailed. "They're in trouble!"

Gian saw a large beast with a chocobo struggling to get out of the creature's huge fist. He dismounted Diablo quickly, and drew his sword.

"Tara, let's go!"

Tara had already dismounted Coco. She readied her staff, and the pair proceeded to the stables to confront the giant beast.

"What is that?" the summoner asked, bewildered at the sight of the huge beast.

"It's called a Chocobo Eater!" Alyssa cried. "Why would it want to hurt the chocobos?"

"That's not an indigenous creature, that's a fiend." the guardian stated. "Time to take care of business!"

The gigantic fiend growled, tossed its chocobo aside, and swung a large fist down on top of Tara who had rolled to the side to avoid being crushed by the blow. The guardian slashed at the beast's arm, enraging it. The fiend swung his large arm and backhanded the guardian, knocking him up against the travel agency building. Gian slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Gian!" Tara screamed. She turned to the Chocobo Eater, raised her staff, and began the summoning ritual - calling for Ifrit. The ground shook and the fearsome aeon appeared. Ifrit charged at the beast with a flying tackle which momentarily stunned it. While Ifrit was readying a large fireball, the beast swung its fist at the aeon. Ifrit absorbed the blow, and slumped to ground, defeated.

"No..." the summoner said to herself, stunned. She turned to the beast with raw fury in her eyes, raised her staff, and cast a fire spell more powerful than anything she had ever cast before.

"Fira!" the summoner screamed. Waves and waves fire enveloped the beast as it howled in pain, staggering backwards, moving closer and closer to the edge of the highroad.

Ifrit turned to his side as he felt a strange pair of hands upon him.

"Cura," the guardian weakly spoke. A green wave washed over both guardian and aeon, and a few moments later, both were back in the fight. Ifrit gazed curiously at his benefactor, then turned his attention back to the gruesome beast. Ifrit flew at the beast and hit it with a tackle, knocking it back further.

"Ifrit!" shouted the guardian. "Fire!" He waved the aeon towards himself. The aeon seemed confused for a moment, then he readied a huge fireball and hurled it right towards the guardian. Gian raised his sword and deflected the fireball, with blinding speed, directly into the face of the Chocobo Eater. The beast roared and howled in pain, edging even closer to the end of the highroad.

Guardian and aeon locked eyes, somehow seeming to be in communication with one another.

"Now!" the guardian shouted. Their combined tackle forced the Chocobo Eater over the edge of the highroad. The beast fell down into the expanse, and disintegrated into pyreflies upon contact with the ground.

Tara ran to her guardian, worried. "Gian, are you okay?"

Gian smiled at his summoner. "I'm fine. Nice fire spell, by the way!"

"Yeah," giggled the summoner, "I kinda lost my temper there a bit. I'm so glad you're okay!"

Guardian and summoner hugged each other tightly, then they walked up to Ifrit. The guardian patted the aeon on its shoulder.

"Thanks, friend."

The aeon rumbled his approval as Tara patted him as well.

"I dismiss you, Ifrit. Thank you again." The aeon disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Tara looked at her guardian curiously.

"Gian, it seemed like you were actually communicating with Ifrit. How is that even possible?"

Gian shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not even sure, really. He just…I don't know... he seemed to know what I wanted from him. I was in physical contact with him when I cured us both. Perhaps he was able to sense my thoughts or emotions? That's the best I can think of."

They both hugged each other again, relieved that another battle was over with.

"Well, whatever it was, I'm glad it worked!"

"You saved the chocobos!" gushed Alyssa. "Thank you so, so much! I won't forget this! Ever!"

"Indeed!" Rin exclaimed. "We owe you a great debt for finally getting rid of the Chocobo Eater. The chocobos will be safe now, thanks to the two of you. As a token of my gratitude, any time you wish, you may come to the Highroad and ride the chocobos at no charge."

Tara hugged the merchant. "Thank you, Rin! That's very generous of you! We'll definitely be back!"

Gian shook hands with him as well. "Rin, thanks for everything. We should be heading out. We've had a ton of fun here, but the journey calls."

"Farewell until next time, my friends!" Rin waved as the pair made their way down to the end of the Highroad.

"See you next time, Rin!" Gian turned and shot his summoner a wink. "Told you, you'd love the chocobos!"

"Yeah," Tara giggled. "That was a good call!"

The summoner returned her hand to its usual position - inside that of her guardian, as they made their way towards Mushroom Rock Road.


	8. Chapter 7 - Annihilation

**Chapter 7 - Annililation**

The pair approached the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road when they were stopped by a young, low-level member of the Crusaders.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I can't let you pass," stated the guard.

Tara replied with an introduction.

"It's all right. We're a summoner party. I'm the summoner Tara from the Island of Kilika, and this is my guardian Gian."

The guard found himself in a situation where he was unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry, Lady Tara. If it were up to me, I'd let you through, but I have my orders."

The Crusaders commander made his way towards the entrance, and then did a double-take when he saw the summoner.

"Tara, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me!" the summoner replied, remembering the man as a native of Kilika. "Zane, isn't it?"

"You remember me!" Zane turned to the guard. "It's okay, please let them through. I will take responsibility for it."

"Thank you Zane." The summoner continued. "What's going on here?"

The commander began to explain. "A very delicate operation. We're going to lure Sin here and attack it head on."

Gian was incredulous. "Are you crazy? How do you plan to defeat it?"

"Sir Gian, right? I've heard a lot about you." Zane offered his hand, which the guardian shook. "Come with me, and I'll explain everything."

Commander Zane led the pair through the path and to the Crusaders Command Center. He displayed an elaborate array of Al Bhed cannons, guns, and even a high-powered energy ray that was positioned on a tower, higher up the mountains. Gian noticed that several Al Bhed were among the men participating in the operation alongside the Crusaders. He kept a close eye on Tara, just in case any of them had any designs on the summoner. All of the men were completely absorbed in making preparations for the attack, and they failed to notice her.

"Who is that?" the summoner asked, looking in the general direction of a man wearing a flowing white robe.

"Maester Lon Dorlan. I wonder why he's here?"

The guardian did not have to wait long to find out. The Maester made his way over to where the pair were standing.

"Who are you?" the Maester asked.

"I am the summoner Tara from the Island of Kilika, and this is my guardian Gian."

The Maester examined the guardian. "Ah yes, Sir Gian, I know of you. Why are you here?"

"I'd ask the same question of you, sir," the guardian replied, somewhat pointedly. The guardian was well aware of Yevon's feelings toward the Al Bhed and the Crusaders, and while he had no great love for either, his suspicions of Yevon's true motives had already begun to surface.

"I should explain myself to you?" the Maester questioned, amusedly.

"Sir, this operation completely and totally violates Yevon's teachings," the guardian implored. "They're using the forbidden machina. Why aren't you stopping them."

The Maester thought a moment about his reply.

"You're right. I probably should stop them."

"You know they won't succeed," the guardian continued. "This will only result in a whole lot of needless deaths. You know this. Why are you allowing this?"

"I warn you, Sir Gian," the Maester cautioned, "you are treading dangerous water."

"It wouldn't be the first time," the guardian replied. "And I can't believe what I'm seeing."

"Then pretend you didn't see it."

"Gian, stop," Tara spoke, trying to diffuse the tense situation. "I think Maester Dorlan realizes that what the Crusaders and Al Bhed are doing is for the good of Spira."

"Yes," the Maester replied. "While this operation does violate the teachings, I, Lon Dorlan, the person, and not the Maester, support it fully." The Maester turned to walk away and said to nobody in particular, "We'll let them believe for just a little while longer.".

Gian looked at the Maester with disbelief. "Sir, is that something a Maester should say?"

The Maester turned back toward Gian. "Then pretend I didn't say it." He walked away, headed towards the command podium.

The guardian noticed several Al Bhed were moving a large cage towards the beach area. The cage contained a Sinspawn.

"Sin always returns for its spawn," the guardian whispered so only Tara would hear him.

One of the Al Bhed who was further up towards the beach area ran back to the command podium shouting, "Sin! It's coming!"

Maester Dorlan began to speak. "Gentlemen, it's time to begin the operation. May Yevon bless us all."

The attack commenced. Waves of shots fired from the cannons, guns, all to no effect. Sin's attack was quick and merciless. The gigantic beast emitted wave after wave of pure energy, draining the life from the soldiers where they stood. Gian hurriedly pulled Tara behind the rock face and into a small cave where they waited out the attack.

A large Al Bhed energy beam fired onto Sin from the tower overlooking the command site. Having finished its business on the beach, Sin turned to the tower and began to reflect the Al Bhed beam back onto the small cockpit that the beam emanated from. Unable to shut the beam off, the weapon exploded violently, shaking the entire rock face, causing an avalanche. Gian shielded Tara from the debris and after a short while, calm returned to the area. Sin had left as it appeared there was nothing more to destroy.

Tara and Gian emerged from the small cave they had taken refuge in. They overlooked the beach area of the command site, and no words could adequately describe the horror that they saw. There was not a single survivor of the attack. Tara stared out at the destruction and dead bodies with tears streaming from her eyes. She turned to her guardian.

"Gian, I...I need to be alone for a few moments."

"I understand." the guardian replied.

Tara walked towards the beach and stared out into the ocean - staring at nothing in particular. Gian had begun to arrange the bodies in proper Crusaders formation, including the Al Bhed. It was a display befitting the sacrifice that the men had made.

Tara returned, tears still in her eyes. Gian took her into his arms and began to speak.

"Tara, this will be the most difficult thing that you ever have to do as a summoner, but these men deserve a proper sending. Are you ready?"

She nodded. She walked towards the bodies and she noted that Maester Dorlan was among them.

"I think he knew that what he was doing was wrong. He chose to die with them..." Her voice trailed off.

Tara raised her staff, and slowly began to dance. Spinning delicately, moving gracefully, she danced - making sweeping and twirling motions with her staff. The dead bodies began to dissolve into pyreflies, slowly rising up above the mountains, and then they disappeared. Tara completed the sending, and stood motionless on the beach. She lost grip of her staff and it fell onto the sandy beach. Gian wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. The summoner broke down completely, crying uncontrollably. There was nothing that Gian could say. He was doing the only thing that he could do at the moment.

Angry, suspicious thoughts flowed through Gian's mind, as he continued to hold Tara tightly.

_Why, Dorlan? Why? You executed these people just as surely as if you pulled the trigger yourself. Were you really that afraid that if they were successful, Yevon would lose power and influence? This didn't need to happen and you knew it. Perhaps at the final moment, you realized what you were doing, but it was too late. You died with them. You found your resolution, but it changes nothing. The faithful live on, while the non-believers perish. Was this your goal all along?_

After a short while, Gian began to set up camp for the evening. He prepared a comfortable area for Tara to relax in. As soon as Tara laid down, she was asleep - exhausted from the sending ritual.

Morning came and the pair cleaned up their camp. They began to head towards Djose Temple, at the end of the Djose Highroad. Neither said anything. They entered Djose Temple in somewhat of a dazed and numb state - a state that they remained in until they realized that they had already completed the trials and obtained the new aeon.

Once outside Djose Temple, Tara looked to her guardian.

"Why did this have to happen?" she asked.

Gian had no answer.


	9. Chapter 8 - Confession

**Chapter 8 - Confession**

Tara and Gian headed back towards the Djose Highroad, and then made their way towards the side route that led to the Moonflow. It was a quiet and peaceful walk. Tara looked over at her guardian.

"We sure have come quite a ways, haven't we?"

Gian thought for a moment. "Yeah, I suppose we have. We have quite a ways to go though. We're not even halfway there."

"Really? What lies ahead?"

"Well, we have to reach Guadosalam. That's where the Guado live. Then there's the Thunder Plains, the Macalania Woods, Bevelle, and the Calm Lands. Beyond that, I'm really not sure. We'll just have to figure that out when we get there."

"Wow, that's a lot..." she remarked, realizing just how involved the pilgrimage really was.

"Yes, but first, we get to see the Moonflow. The Moonflow is really beautiful and I can't wait for you to see it."

"Really? What's it like? Tell me about it!"

Gian was happy to see Tara excited again. He knew that the summoner had seen more in the past few weeks than she had seen in most of her life. He also knew that the events of Mushroom Rock Road had taken a particularly heavy toll upon her.

"I'm not really sure I can explain it. You'll just have to see it for yourself. But I know you're gonna love it!"

Tara smiled, having learned to trust Gian's judgment. Any time Gian told her she was going to love something, he was usually correct. They continued their peaceful walk until they rounded the corner in the road, and were greeted by several Al Bhed, who were accompanied by another large machina robot.

The leader of the group stepped forward and addressed the guardian.

"Stand down, Sir Gian. We don't want to fight you. We just want the summoner."

Gian could sense that Tara was beginning the summoning ritual behind him, so he knew that his job was to distract the Al Bhed as long as possible. He looked at the Al Bhed leader and laughed.

"You're out of your mind. There's no way you're getting her without going through me."

"Sir Gian, unless I've miscounted, there are five of us, and only one of you," the Al Bhed leader replied, glancing at his troops behind him.

"Agreed, those aren't good odds. I suppose it would be the smart thing for me to do - to just hand her over. The thing is, though, nobody ever accused me of being smart."

"Sir Gian, you really should rethink this. You're hopelessly outnumbered. We will get the summoner. You won't be able to stop all of us. Surely you must realize that."

"Oh, I do realize that, and I'm certainly not invincible," the guardian admitted, "but I'm gonna just take a guess here and say that I'll manage to cut down at least two of you before you defeat me. Think about that - two of you won't be returning." The guardian smiled and drew his sword. "Who wants to be one of those two?"

That was all the time that Tara needed. A blinding flash of light appeared behind the summoner and from inside the anomaly, a large, gleaming, silver-white unicorn-like aeon appeared and charged the Al Bhed. The aeon reared up on its hind legs and let forth a devastatingly powerful wave of lightning bolts - sending the Al Bhed into retreat, destroying the machina robot in the process.

"Nice one, Tara!" the guardian exclaimed as he walked up and admired the aeon, lightly stroking its mane. The aeon gazed curiously at the guardian, but did not seem to mind. Tara walked up and patted the aeon's long neck.

"Thank you for your help, Ixion. I dismiss you." Ixion trotted off and disappeared in a flash of light. "You think they'll be back?" she asked.

"Count on it."

The pair continued down the road, finally reaching the Moonflow. They saw an incredibly beautiful lake with many moonlilies buzzing about. Tara stood and gazed at the water.

"Gian, this is beautiful!"

"You should see it at night. The whole lake glows because of the moonlilies. But truthfully, the view is much better from the other side. You get a better view of the entire Moonflow."

"Gian, when this is all over with, we just have to come back here! Can we?"

The guardian was still uneasy with any conversation having to do with the pilgrimage being completed. He still had not figured out a way to prevent Tara from dying after confronting Sin. He decided to put it out of his mind.

"It would be nice, I think. Even better to get a boat out there."

"Oooh, that's a great idea!"

"Guess what we get to do now, Tara? We get to ride the shoopuf to the other side."

They made their way to the Moonflow's South Wharf where the giant elephant-like shoopuf was waiting, with a passenger car strapped to its back. Tara stopped in her tracks upon seeing the gigantic creature.

"That's a shoopuf? It's huge!"

The guardian laughed. "Yes it's big. But it's also very gentle. Look at its long trunk. Once, when I was a kid, I accidentally fell out of the passenger car, into the water. The shoopuf scooped me up with its long trunk and put me back into the car."

"I would have loved to have seen that," the summoner replied, giggling.

"Yeah, my mother wasn't quite so amused. She was even less amused when I jumped back into the water a couple more times just for fun."

"Shame on you, Gian! Tormenting your mother like that," the summoner playfully teased.

"What could I do? It was fun. Boys will be boys, you know."

"Ride ze shoopuf?" a small blue creature asked.

"We'd love to!" the summoner exclaimed as Gian paid the shoopuf fare.

"Thank you," the creature replied. "All aboardsh!"

The pair walked towards a large crane and stepped onto the platform attached to it. The crane lifted them high up into the air, edging closer and closer to the shoopuf passenger car, where they were able to step into it.

After they were settled in, the shoopuf began walking towards the water and it slowly and gently began to swim towards the Moonflow's North Wharf.

"Shoopuf launching!" the small blue creature announced.

The pair enjoyed a nice and quiet, albeit slow, ride from the South Wharf to the North Wharf. They looked out at the lake, and they saw the entire expanse of the Moonflow. Tara tried to imagine what the entire lake would look like at night, glowing with moonlilies.

"Isn't this wonderful, Gian?" she remarked.

"Indeed," the guardian replied. "The shoopuf can just take its sweet time. Sometimes there's nothing better than relaxing and just enjoying some peace and quiet."

They were sitting in the seats facing each other. Tara started to get up, so she could sit next to him, when an arm reached up from outside the passenger car, pulling her over the edge and into the water.

"Tara!" the guardian screamed. He wasted no time jumping into the water after her. He swam around the vicinity, looking for her and saw something familiar - another large machina weapon, with a clear sphere for a head, with Tara trapped inside. _Where do they keep getting these damn things?_ He knew that fire gems would not work under water, so he would need to devise a new strategy to defeat the weapon.

He swam to the side to avoid the machina's pincers. _This one must have gotten an upgrade. _He was shocked to see the entire machina charging at him. He quickly swam between the machina's legs, as it crashed against the underwater rock face. He dodged a couple more pincer attacks, and then he was struck with an idea. He took his sword and wedged it into the rock face. He then turned to face the machina, which had once again began to charge at him. He waited as long as he possibly could, then swam out of the way at the last instant, as the machina slammed itself into the rock face, impaling itself upon his sword. He saw the machine shaking and convulsing, and he knew the machina was short-circuiting. Finally, the machina went inert and started to sink to the bottom of the lake - snapping the guardian's sword in half in the process. The sphere bubble disintegrated, as he hurriedly swam to reach the summoner. After catching up to her, he swam to the surface as fast as he could. Reaching the surface, he pulled Tara up so she could breathe.

They were floating in the water at almost the middle point of the lake. He wondered if he could swim the distance back to the South Wharf holding Tara when he felt the shoopuf's trunk wrapping around her. He watched as the shoopuf plucked her from the water, placing her back into the passenger car. After Tara was safely aboard, the shoopuf then reached for him.

Back in the passenger car, both sat on the floor area. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly - neither saying anything. The shoopuf resumed its journey toward the North Wharf.

After arriving at the North Wharf, the pair departed the shoopuf launching ramp. They walked over towards the secluded coast line that overlooked the lake. Tara had tried to talk to Gian a couple of times, but he remained silent. Gian took a seat upon a log section, and was staring out at the water.

"Gian?" the summoner spoke as she stood behind him with her arms draped over his shoulders and chest. "Are you okay? Please talk to me."

"Some guardian I am..." he muttered, dropping his face into his hands.

"Huh?"

"Tara, maybe you'd be better off finding another guardian - one that could actually protect you..."

The summoner began rubbing and massaging the guardian's neck and shoulders. "I don't want another guardian. I want you."

"I failed you. I'm sorry, Tara..."

"Gian, that's so not true! You didn't fail me at all!" Tara walked around the log, and knelt down in front of Gian so she could look up into his eyes.

"Look at me." She pulled his hands away from his face. "Gian, look at me. The Al Bhed got the drop on us both. Nobody could have seen it coming. And I'm not blaming you for anything either, so please... please don't beat yourself up over this. It wasn't your fault. Besides, you saved me. Twice! That should count for something too, right?"

"I don't deserve you..."

"Well, sorry…you're stuck with me." The guardian looked up to see one of Tara's trademark smirks.

They looked into each other's eyes for a couple of moments, and burst into laughter. At this point, Tara knew Gian well enough to know that if she ever needed a sure-fire method of getting through to him, humor was that method.

Gian stood and helped Tara to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"Mmmmmmmm, what was that for?" she pleasantly sighed, as she wrapped her arms around him in return.

"I'm just relieved and happy…happy that you're okay. If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do…"

The guardian spent a few moments gazing Tara's big brown eyes - saying nothing, just gazing. Her smile was easily the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"So, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about telling you something," the guardian nervously replied. "Something I've kept inside, something I've kept to myself."

She continued to smile. "I'm listening."

The guardian took a deep breath. "When I came to Kilika, all I wanted was a nice, simple, quiet life. I actually had that for a while. And then you came into my life and everything changed. And now, when I look back on it all, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I can't imagine that simple life anymore. I wouldn't want to go back to it. I know what I want now. I also know what I don't want, and I don't want a life that you're not a part of.

Still smiling, she moved in as close as she could and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you trying to tell me, Gian?"

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" he chuckled softly. "I'm trying to tell you that I love you. I've been in love with you since... basically, the beginning. I kept it to myself because I didn't want to complicate things. But I can't hide it anymore. I love you, Tara."

She reached up to gently caress his face. "You never were good at hiding things. I could tell. Could you tell that I love you too?"

Tara and Gian shared their first kiss underneath the beautiful sunset of the Moonflow, remaining in each other's arms - completely oblivious to anything else happening in Spira.

"You know," the summoner softly spoke, "Sin's job just got a whole lot harder."

"How's that?"

"Now, Sin has to face a summoner and guardian who love each other, and who would fight and die for each other."

"We would have done that anyway." the guardian replied.

"Yes, but love makes it just that much more powerful!"

"Hmm, you know... I don't think I'm gonna argue that one." He smiled and continued to hold Tara tightly, sharing another kiss.

Still gazing into Gian's eyes, she began to speak. "You know, Gian, I may not be as well-traveled or worldly as you, but there are some things that I know. The pilgrimage is dangerous, and things could happen to either of us at any time. We both knew this going into it. We're in this together, and what we do, we do together with no regrets. And everything we face, we'll face together. This isn't just you fighting to protect me. I will fight for you too. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The guardian stood tall, his previous self-doubt erased.

"That's the Gian I know." She smiled at him. "And the Gian I love." He returned her smile.

"Well, what should we do now? We could head towards Guadosalam. Or... we could just stay here and enjoy the Moonflow."

The summoner looked out towards the lake that was now glowing from coast to coast with moonlilies.

"I'm not in any hurry. Are you?"

"Nope!" came the guardian's reply.

They awoke the next morning and made their preparations to head to Guadosalam. Neither said anything – nothing needed to be said. Their smiles said everything.

As the pair set out towards Guadosalam, the guardian quipped "You think they've got any coffee over there? They looked at each other, and burst into laughter once more. "I hope they have a weapon shop over there. I need a new sword, you know."

"I'm sure you'll find one in Guadosalam. For now, you just use that magic of yours and keep us healed up. I have some new spells I've been dying to try out." Gian looked over at his summoner again. He had just become the recipient of yet another trademark Tara smirk.

"Yes ma'am!" the guardian playfully teased.

They shared another laugh, joined hands, and began to make their way towards Guadosalam.

**Author's Note:** This is one of my favorite chapters in the entire story =)


	10. Chapter 9 - Guadosalam

**Chapter 9 - Guadosalam**

Tara and Gian arrived in Guadosalam where they were stopped by a rather stern-looking Guado.

"State your business," the Guado admonished.

Tara stepped forth, ready to provide the customary introduction.

"Hello, I am the summoner Tara from the Island of Kilika and this is my guardian, Gian."

"Forgive me. I did not realize you were a summoner party," the Guado replied, his facial expression softening. "I am called Trommel Guado and I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Jyscal Guado."

Recognition dawned on Gian. "Lord Jyscal Guado! Tara, I know of him. He is the man who brought Yevon's teachings to the Guado." The guardian turned to Trommel. "Lord Jyscal is indeed a great man."

The old guado smiled. "You honor us with your knowledge of our people and our history. Might I ask what brings you to Guadosalam?"

"We're just passing through, on our way to the Thunder Plains. But we were hoping you had a shop, where we could purchase some supplies and a weapon or two."

"We do," Trommel pointed to a location behind him. "That is the shop, right there. I'm certain they will have anything you might need."

"Aside from that, I've always had a great deal of respect and admiration for Lord Jyscal, for what he's done for your people. If it were possible to meet him, we would really love to do so."

Trommel smiled and thought for a moment, "Lord Jyscal is very busy, but I will see what I can do for you. Please, this way."

Trommel led the two inside the manor, and into the living room where they took note of a wide array of delicacies from all over Spira.

"Please, help yourselves," the Guado offered. "It is not often we receive guests here."

"Gian, of all the things in here, you head straight to the coffee." Tara was always amused by Gian's obession with coffee.

Gian turned to Tara with a sheepish smile on his face. "I've never had a chance to try the Guado blend."

A tall, slender woman with long black hair entered the living room, with a child tagging along behind her. A young half-Guado / half-human child of about ten years old. The child appeared to be very nervous as his mother spoke.

"Hello, I am Anima. Wife to Lord Jyscal. It is a pleasure to meet you both."

The two both shook hands with Anima as Tara spoke. "It is very nice to meet you as well. Gian and I both thank you for your hospitality. Who is this behind you?"

"This is our son Seymour. Seymour, this is Lady Tara and Sir Gian. Can you say hello to them?"

The nervous child stepped from behind his mother to offer a timid hello. Tara dropped to her knees, so she could speak to the child. Tara's smile was warm and inviting, and the child could not help but to be drawn to her.

"And how are you, Seymour? It's very nice to meet you!"

"I'm okay... And you?" The child was almost blushing - not sure how to to react to someone who appeared to have a genuine interest in him.

Meanwhile, Anima looked towards the guardian. "Walk with me, Sir Gian."

The two left the manor and began to walk around, amongst the townspeople. Anima spoke.

"It has been difficult for Seymour. He is the very first of his kind. Half human and half Guado. He is a part of both worlds, but does not really seem to belong to either. Lord Jyscal and I are not really sure how to help him through it. He also seems to have a great deal of trouble making friends."

"He's made one today, I guarantee it. Tara pretty much loves everybody. If anybody can make young Seymour smile, Tara can. As for the rest, I'm afraid I really don't have an answer either. It would seem that the boy will have to make his own path. All I can suggest is to always make sure he knows that he is loved. Be there for him. He needs to know that you're both there for him, no matter what."

"You're right, of course. Let us return and see how Lady Tara is doing with him?"

The pair returned to the manor to find young Seymour laughing and giggling with Tara while a smiling Lord Jyscal stood next to them.

Anima spoke once more. "Sir Gian, this is my husband, Lord Jyscal."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir. I've read all about how you've united your people, and brought Yevon's teachings to them. To me, the work you've done is nothing short of incredible. I hear you're in line to become Maester. Yevon would be wise to select you."

The old Guado smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Sir Gian, and thank you for your very kind words. Maester? I think that's a bit premature, we will see though. I hope you have enjoyed your stay here in Guadosalam. Please, I insist that you visit our shops and stock up for your journey. Lady Tara has told me everything. Take whatever you might need and I will take care of it. Of course, you are welcome to stay as long as you need to. Do not worry about it. We are very pleased to have you here."

The surprised guardian responded, "Sir, that's extremely generous of you. Are you sure? How might we thank you?"

"You plan to defeat Sin, yes?" The Guado smiled once more. "Do so and I will consider that to be thanks enough."

Tara spoke to young Seymour once more. "It's time for us to go, Seymour. I am so happy I got to meet you!"

"I understand, Lady Tara. Will you come back and visit me again sometime?" the child asked, hopefully.

"Absolutely! You can count on it!" the summoner replied. Anima took note of the genuine smile on Seymour's face as Tara hugged the child.

After thanking Lord Jyscal once more, the pair left the manor and headed towards the weapon shop. "I really hope I find something I can use. Protecting you unarmed could prove to be difficult."

"I'm sure you'll find something. Let's take a look around."

The pair found the Guado shop to be very well stocked with many weapons, armors, and sundries. After a short while, the pair had chosen several new protective pieces and had fully replenished their stock of items. The guardian admired a gleaming blueish sword on the back wall.

"May I see that, please?" the guardian asked of the shopkeeper.

"Of course!" the shopkeeper replied. "That's the very latest in metallurgy. It's very lightweight and super strong. You will like it very much, I'm sure."

Gian examined the sword, and took a few swings to see how it felt in action. He smiled at Tara.

"This is the one. I'll take it."

"See? I told you you'd find something. And all the new gear looks good on you too!" The summoner also admired her own new gear.

Gian turned to the shopkeeper. "So how much do I owe you for all this?"

A messenger from the Jyscal Manor had entered the shop and delivered his message to the shopkeeper. After the conversation ended, the shopkeeper turned to the guardian.

"Sir Gian, you owe me nothing. Lord Jyscal has taken care of everything."

"No, I can't! We've chosen a lot of stuff here. You must let me give you something." The guardian pulled a very nice amount of gil from his pouch and set it upon the counter. "You keep it. Use it to replenish the store supply. And please tell Lord Jyscal I truly appreciate his generosity."

The shopkeeper smiled. "Of course, Sir Gian. I thank you very much. I wish you and Lady Tara good fortune on your journey."

After leaving the shop, Tara asked "What's next?"

"Well, we must travel down the Thunder Plains towards the Macalania Woods. But there's something else here to see before we go."

"What's that?"

"The Farplane." the guardian replied.

"Wait, _the_ Farplane?"

"Yes, that Farplane. I take it you've never been there before?"

The summoner shook her head. "Gian, I've only left Kilika to travel to Besaid and Luca. I'm seeing places now that I've never seen before. And now I'm going to the Farplane? Am I going to see dead people?"

Gian explained, "You're not really going to see the dead. It's more like… you're going to see visions of them."

Tara and Gian proceeded up the long stairway, and then into the Farplane. Gian stood at the edge and a few moments later, a woman appeared - an older woman with sandy brown hair and a kind and beautiful face.

Tara smiled "Gian, is that your mother?"

"Yes, it is." Gian replied. Tara smiled and squeezed Gian's hand.

"She's beautiful! What's her name?" the summoner asked, smiling at the vision.

"Adara."

A couple of moments passed when Tara said "Gian, give us just a few moments, okay?" The guardian agreed and walked over to the other side of the Farplane.

Tara gazed upon the vision of Gian's mother, and began to speak to her.

"Hello! I, um… I realize you don't know me, but I'm really happy that I get to meet you - even like this. You must be a wonderful mother. You have obviously done very well with Gian. He is kind, honest, and dependable. He is a good and decent man. He is someone that any mother would be proud of. You must have loved him very much." Tara shyly smiled. "I love him too. He's the one. I've never been more certain of anything in my life."

"I understand this once belonged to you," Tara continued, looking at her staff. "Gian gave it to me. It's been a tremendous help on our journey together, and it is something I treasure very much. He still smiles and thinks of you every time he sees it."

Tara wondered to herself if she were imagining things. Did she just see a smile on the face of Gian's mother? She felt a tremble from her staff, and then felt a new power - a power she had never felt from the weapon before.

The vision faded away and Gian rejoined his summoner.

"Did you enjoy seeing my mother?"

She took Gian's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Yes, very much. Thank you for sharing this with me. It really means a lot."

Together, the pair left the Farplane and headed towards the cave leading into the Thunder Plains.


	11. Chapter 10 - Thunder Plains

**Chapter 10 - Thunder Plains**

Tara and Gian paused at the exit of Guadosalam and took in the incredibly gloomy view the Gandalf Thunder Plains. They saw an endless desert-like expanse covered by a dark sky that was punctuated with constant lightning bolts and thunder claps.

"I don't think I care for this place too much," Tara remarked.

"It was once much worse." Gian replied. "See those towers over there? Those were built by an Al Bhed named Bilghen a long time ago. Those towers absorb a lot of the lightning strikes. Without them, it's... well... travel at your own risk."

"That's amazing work, for sure!"

The guardian continued to explain. "It's a shame that Bilghen never really got to see the finished product. As he completed the last tower, he was killed by a lightning strike."

"That's terrible!" the summoner exclaimed. "So why is this called the Gandalf Thunder Plains?"

"It was named after High Summoner Gandalf. He defeated Sin some 400 years or so ago. He's also known for banishing the Cactaur from Djose to here - where he imprisoned them into stone, so they could no longer terrorize the people. High Summoner Gandalf is also known for the huge scar in the Calm Lands. It was said that scar was created during his battle with Sin. You'll see that when we get there."

Tara took in all the information that Gian offered, but she could not take her eyes off the desolate view of the Thunder Plains.

"Gian, this looks really creepy. Do we really have to go there?"

"I'm afraid so. It's the only way to get to the Macalania Woods. Don't worry. As long as we stay on the main path, we should be fine."

"Well, now you tell me!" Tara was standing about 15 yards off the path, trying to get a better view of the horizon. A large fanged beast emerged from one of the caves, headed directly for the summoner.

"Tara!" the guardian shouted. He drew his sword and began to rush in front of Tara, but the beast was much faster.

Tara raised her staff. "Blizzaga!" Several large pointed icicles rained down upon the beast. The center icicle found its mark and impaled the creature, which then disintegrated into pyreflies. She hurriedly ran back towards the path, where she stood - staring at her staff with a confused look on her face.

"Something wrong?" the guardian asked.

"I'm not sure," came the reply. "Let me try again." She moved back into the open field, away from the path in an attempt to draw out another fiend.

"Tara! Get back here! Are you crazy?"

A gruesome flying beast charged the summoner. Tara raised her staff once again. "Thundaga!" The creature was fried by the most powerful lightning strike either of them had ever seen.

"One more," the summoner spoke. A fearsome snake-like creature emerged - a creature larger than anything the pair had encountered so far. Tara raised her staff once more. "I hope this one works... Flare!" The creature was enveloped in a fiery molten lava mass, incinerating it on the spot. Tara returned to the path where Gian was waiting.

"Gian, I just cast three very high level spells - one right after another. And I'm not even a little bit tired! I should be wiped out considering how much magic I just cast. Wait! It makes sense now!"

"What makes sense?"

"Gian, you're going to think I'm nuts. When we were in the Farplane, and I was talking to your mother, she actually smiled at me. Something happened to my staff and now... I don't even know if I'm making any sense at all. It's like... magic doesn't take anywhere near as much out of me now, as it did before! Also, even though my black magic seems to be much stronger, I still can't cast any white magic. If I try, it doesn't have any effect."

"Well, that's why you have me," the guardian laughed. "White magic is all I got! Cure and heal spells are about all I'm good for. I've also never heard of Farplane resident displaying emotional traits before either. I guess there are still wonders in this world."

"Well, it's not just the staff or the magic. I feel stronger now, in general. Much moreso than when we first started."

The guardian smiled. "Of course you do. And so do I. That's the point of the pilgrimage. To prepare yourself - mind, body, and soul - for the challenge of Sin. As we progress, we'll grow even stronger, I'm sure. And if we find a little gift or two along the way, then that's all the better!"

The pair began to make their way down the path. Tara clung to Gian's hand tightly, jumping every time the thunder clapped. About halfway through the trip, they saw a woman standing by one of the towers.

"Hello, Lady Tara." the woman spoke.

"Do I know you?" the summoner replied.

"No, but I've been waiting for you. My name is Belgemine. I provide aid to summoners on their pilgrimage."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Belgemine. What are you doing out here?"

"I had hoped to meet you on the way to the Moonflow," Belgemine stated, "but it seems the Al Bhed had other plans."

"I see. So how can we help you?"

Belgemine smiled. "It is I who can help you. With my training, a young summoner such as yourself just might be able to defeat Sin. I propose a contest. Your aeons against mine. A friendly contest, of course. If you cannot defeat me, you've no hope of defeating Sin."

"Okay, I accept."

Gian seemed concerned. "Tara, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I think it will be alright, Gian. I'm ready."

"Very well, allow me to heal your aeons first." Belgemine raised her staff and cast a healing spell which brought Tara's aeons up to full strength. "Shall we begin?" Belgemine began her summoning ritual and called forth her version of Ixion.

Tara performed her own summoning ritual, calling for Ifrit. Ixion struck the first blow, ramming Ifrit with his horn. Ifrit responded with a flying tackle and double hammer-fist. Ixion then rained down lightning bolts that stunned Ifrit momentarily. Angered, Ifrit roared and spewed forth a terrifying beam of pure molten energy that ran right through Ixion. Ixion slumped down to its knees, and dissolved into pyreflies.

"Stop," Belgemine spoke. "That is enough."

"Thank you for the contest, Lady Belgemine."

"You are welcome, my dear." Belgemine smiled. "Indeed you are powerful. Much more powerful than I would have imagined."

Tara returned Belgemine's smile. "And I feel you too are more powerful than that. At any rate, you'll probably defeat Sin before I can."

"I cannot," Begemine's face turned to one of sadness. "Or I should say... I could not." Belgemine allowed herself to temporarily become transparent, revealing her true nature.

"You're an unsent?" Gian questioned.

"Yes. But do not send me just yet. I still have more that I wish to teach you, Lady Tara." Belgemine handed Tara a small pouch. "Your prize," Belgemine offered. "Go on, take it." Tara opened the pouch to reveal a gold medallion, similar to Gian's. However, the star pattern was different, and the inscription was different as well.

_Perseus_

"Wait!" the summoner exclaimed after examining the medallion. "Gian has a medallion like this as well. Please tell me, what are they for?"

Belgemine smiled once again. "I could tell you, but you are meant to discover this on your own. I will tell you though, that it does represent something very powerful, something that will surely aid you in your battle against Sin. If and when you are meant for this kind of power, all will become clear. I look forward to meeting you again. Until next time, Lady Tara."

"Until next time, Lady Belgemine." The older summoner began to make her way back towards Guadosalam.

Tara looked back towards Gian. "I tell you, Gian, I am dying to know what these things are supposed to be for."

"Don't look at me." the guardian quipped. "You know as much as I do about them. However, with both yours and mine, it seems like something is supposed to fit inside them. When we find those pieces, if we find them, maybe it will make sense then?"

"I hope you're right. But for now..." Tara placed the medallion around her neck.

"See, now you're special too!" Tara looked over at Gian to find him smirking at her. She playfully punched him in the arm.

The guardian laughed. "Shall we continue?"

The pair resumed their path down the Thunder Plains when Gian stopped. He saw something that instantly put a smile upon his face.

"What is it?" the summoner inquired.

The guardian shook his head and chuckled. "That Rin, he's everywhere! Look, a new Travel Agency. Do you know what this means?"

"It means we can get out from this place for a while, I'm hoping..."

"It means there's coffee!" the guardian exclaimed.

Tara burst out laughing. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I could think of a few things!"

Tara looked back at Gian in shock, to find that she had just become the recipient of another one of the guardian's smirks. She walked up to him and kissed him. After the guardian returned her kiss, she remarked "You know, I could use some coffee too."

"Ahh, Lady Tara and Sir Gian, welcome!" Rin waved the pair over towards the new building. "And how goes your journey?"

"Really, Rin, you can drop the Lady and Sir stuff, we're friends!" the summoner exlaimed as she hugged the shopkeeper.

"As you wish, and how is Gian?" The shopkeeper extended his hand which the guardian shook.

The guardian smiled. "Gian is ready for some you-know-what!"

"It's all ready for you, please come in. Oh, and Alyssa said for me to tell you hello as well!"

"Ah yes, how is she?" the guardian asked.

"She is doing wonderfully. I have her working on a special project. I can't tell you what it is, as it is a surprise. I am sure you will run into her again along your pilgrimage."

The three sat down to enjoy some fresh coffee and discussed everything that had happened on their journey so far. After sharing a wonderful dinner prepared by Rin, Tara and Gian retired to their room at the back of the agency building.

"Better rest up." the guardian spoke, "we're only halfway through the Thunder Plains. And I have a feeling we aren't leaving until we're tested once again."

Gian laid down upon his bed and was out instantly. Tara laughed while looking towards the other bed that was in the room. "By all means, don't wait for me."

Several hours later, Gian awoke to find Tara curled upon him.

"I'm not sure this tiny little bed was meant for two," the guardian remarked, amusedly.

Tara smiled. "So it's a little cozy. Got a problem with that?"

"Nope!" Gian replied as he kissed Tara once again.

The pair resumed their trek down the Thunder Plains after enjoying breakfast and coffee prepared by Rin. They had almost reached the exit of the Thunder Plains when they noticed something standing in their way. A terrifying giant made of black iron armor.

"Here's a little present for you, Sir Gian! Enjoy!" exclaimed the Al Bhed commander who had tried to take Tara back on the road outside the Moonflow. Moments later, the Al Bhed was gone.

The giant stirred to life and drew a sword as large as the Travel Agency building. The ground shook as the giant advanced upon the pair. It swung the large sword downward toward the guardian who had rolled out of the way just in time.

Tara completed her summoning ritual, calling for Valefor. The silver bird-like aeon's energy ray momentarily stunned the giant long enough for Gian to attempt a sword strike upon the giant's knee. The guardian was bewildered when his sword simply bounced off the giant's armor, apparently inflicting no damage at all.

"This is not good!" the guardian exclaimed, as he rolled out of the way of the giant's sword once more.

Valefor flew straight at the giant and hit it right in the face. The giant turned its attention towards the aeon, and swatted it back towards one of the lightning towers. Valefor slumped to the ground, defeated.

The giant then backhanded Tara as well, knocking her unconscious. "Tara!" the guardian screamed. The guardian rammed his sword in between the black iron armor plating sections which prompted an extremely load roar from the beast. Gian then hurriedly darted in between the giant's legs. The time it took for the giant to reorient itself gave the guardian the time he needed to cast a Cura spell, bringing Tara back into the fight.

Noting that she was close to a lightning tower, the summoner raised her staff. "Waterga!" A torrential flood rained down upon the giant, stopping its advance. She quickly made her way back behind the tower where she was joined by Gian.

The guardian hurriedly sorted through some of the gems he had purchased at the shop in Guadosalam. "Some of these gems I've never seen before. This one is called "Armor Break." Maybe it will do the trick?"

"Here it comes!" screamed the summoner. Tara took the gem and hurled it towards the giant. An explosion halted the giant's advance once again, while the guardian ran toward it and attempted another sword strike. To his surprise, he managed to knock the giant backwards for the first time.

"Tara, it worked!" the guardian exclaimed. He managed to avoid another strike from the giant's sword. He aimed his next strike at the hand that was holding the gigantic weapon. The guardian's blade sliced through the giant's wrist, and the sword loudly clanged to the ground. "Keep it coming, Tara!"

Tara performed another summoning ritual, calling for Ifrit. The fiery beast flew at the giant with a flying tackle. The giant swung his other fist downwards toward the aeon who was pushed out of the way at the last instant by Gian.

Enraged, Ifrit roared and spewed forth another molten fire rush that enveloped the giant. The giant roared loudly as the guardian ran his sword right through its midsection, executing his signature sword maneuver.

The giant roared once more and fell to its knees, then face first onto the grounds of the Thunder Plains. A moment later, the giant dissolved into pyreflies.

An exhausted Gian gently chucked the aeon on the chest as a "thank you" gesture. The aeon rumbled and disappeared into a cloud of black smoke. He sat down at the base of the lightning tower and pulled Tara into his arms, where they stayed to rest for a few moments.

"Those damn Al Bhed, what is their problem?" he asked, while an equally exhausted Tara laid her head upon his chest, saying nothing.

After resting for a while at the base of the lightning tower, Tara looked towards the edge of the Thunder Plains. "Is that the exit?"

"Yes." the guardian replied. "And the sooner we get out of here, the better."

Gian stood, and helped Tara to her feet. The pair slowly began to make their way towards the exit of the Thunder Plains. Upon crossing the exit, they both took in the much calmer view of the Macalania Woods.


	12. Chapter 11 - Macalania Woods

**Chapter 11 - Macalania Woods**

Tara and Gian paused as they entered the glistening blue expanse of the Macalania Woods. Gian looked at his summoner.

"I've been through the Macalania Woods many times, but I've never been to Macalania Temple. That's where we need to go."

"I hope it's quiet. It sure is pretty!"

After a short rest, the pair joined hands and resumed the trip through the woods. They reached a point where they saw open space on the horizon. The guardian remembered something that was once told to him by previous visitors of the woods.

"I wonder if this is still here?" the guardian mused aloud.

"If what is still here?"

Gian walked toward a section of the mountain face that was covered by medium sized boulders, and started to remove them, revealing an entrance.

"Something I've always wanted to see," replied the guardian. "Don't worry. It won't take long."

The cave was mostly dark, but there was light towards the back. A small lake was revealed.

"Tara, take a look at this. This lake... this liquid... this is what spheres are made of."

"Really? How cool!"

The lake turned a dark color, and something emerged from within. A pulsating ball of sphere fluid had poised itself in front of the pair. It shot a stream of fluid at the guardian, drenching him, prompting a giggle from Tara.

"Well that wasn't very nice of it!" she quipped.

"Are you kidding me?" replied the soaked guardian.

The sphere floated above Tara and changed form into a solid block, and began to fall. Gian hurriedly pulled Tara out of the way.

"Okay, it looks like we're going to have to deal with this thing." He drew his sword and slashed at it. The being morphed itself so his sword went right through it, doing no damage.

Tara raised her staff. "Thundaga!" A powerful lightning bolt struck the being, causing it to convulse, and then disintegrate into pyreflies.

"I think I've seen enough here, how about you?"

"I agree, let's get out of here," Tara replied.

They continued down the open path where they saw an open area where a building was in process of being built. Off to the side of a pile of building materials was a sign that read "Travel Agency."

"How about that, Tara? We beat Rin for once!"

"Well, I guess that's good.. .and bad! Now there's nowhere for us to stay, except the Temple. I suppose that won't be so bad, will it?"

"It should be okay."

A familiar face presented himself. "Hello Sir Gian, we meet again."

Tara was not happy to see the Al Bhed Commander. "Seriously? You again?"

"What is your name, anyway?" asked the guardian.

"My name is Stenn. Sir Gian, are you going to hand over the summoner, or are we going to have to do this again?"

"What do you think?" The guardian drew his sword.

No machina robots were present, so this was to be an old-fashioned fight.

"Enough of this, Stenn. Just you and me. And if I win, you leave us alone for good."

"And if I win?" Stenn questioned.

"Stenn, I'm a ten year veteran of the Bevelle Guard. You're not going to defeat me and we both know it. Why are you so determined to kidnap Tara? What has she done to you? What have I done to you? We don't have to do this. We just want answers."

"I'm doing it because... I have to."

It was not much of a fight. Stenn was outclassed from the start. The Al Bhed found himself disarmed in mere moments, with the tip of Gian's sword at his throat.

"You win!" Stenn resigned himself to defeat. "I will keep my word."

Two of the other Al Bhed tried to make a move for Tara. She glared and raised her staff. It was enough to make the Al Bhed think twice - knowing what the summoner was capable of.

The Al Bhed regrouped and ran off.

"I sincerely hope that's the last we ever see of that bunch!" Tara stated.

"I wouldn't count on it," the guardian dryly remarked.

"Hey, look!" Tara pointed to a snowmobile that the Al Bhed arrived on, and apparently left behind. "You think we can use that?"

"Depends on how much trust you have in my driving," the guardian quipped.

"Oh boy..." Tara shook her head, laughing.

"Shall we?" Gian sat on the vehicle and turned the ignition switch. Tara climbed onto the seat directly behind Gian and wrapped her arms around his midsection.

"Okay, this works for me!" the guardian chuckled.

She poked him. "Just go, already!"

Gian's driving was apparently good enough to bring the pair to the entrance of Macalania Temple in mere minutes. The pair greeted the Temple custodian and entered.

There were only two hallways between the main entrance and the antechamber that led to the Chamber of the Fayth.

"What, no trials?" the summoner remarked.

"I guess not. Well, I suppose you should go do what you came here to do."

"Be right back!" The door to the Chamber of the Fayth slid upwards so Tara could enter. It closed behind her.

The guardian spent the time wondering to himself just what it was that the Al Bhed could be up to. Why the sudden interest in summoners? Why did they insist on interfering with their pilgrimage? He had no answers.

A short time later, Tara emerged from the Chamber of the Fayth, seemingly unaffected.

"You okay?" the guardian asked.

"I'm fine. The joining doesn't really drain me anymore like it used to. I guess I really am getting better at this!"

They shared a quick hug and kiss, and then began to make their way out of the Temple. As they reached the end of the hallway, they could feel the floor section that they were standing on starting to dissolve. Hurriedly, they jumped backwards to a stable section. Then that section started to dissolve. They jumped back once more, and found that section destabilizing as well. They ended up back at the exit of the antechamber with a small stairwell to their left.

"What was that you were saying about no trials?" the guardian questioned.

"Ugh," Tara replied. "I knew it was too good to be true."

The pair spent the next hour placing and removing spheres, moving platforms from one location to another, and finally hit upon the correct combination that stabilized the upper floor section. With the floor section in place, the pair left Macalania Temple.

Seeing that the snowmobile was gone, Gian looked over toward Tara.

"Well, it looks like we're gonna have to hoof it back to the woods."

"As long as it's quiet, I don't mind," the summoner replied, smiling.

It was a quiet hike until they reached the far end of the bridge that led back towards Macalania Temple. They found themselves confronted by two unfamiliar Al Bhed and an extremely large behemoth.

"Time to meet our new friend," Tara quipped as she began her summoning ritual.

As Tara twirled her staff, several large icicles rained down in a fan-like pattern in front of her. A shrouded form descended from the sky. The icicles exploded as the being pulled off its veil, revealing a eerily beautiful female aeon. The aeon tossed her veil towards Tara who gently caught it.

Gian was awestruck at the magnificent beauty of the aeon, knowing that behind the beauty was an ancient and incredibly strong power.

Shiva began to gather energy into what appeared to be a glowing ball of ice. She reached upwards and then leaned forward, hurling the energy ball forward where it completely covered the Al Bhed, behemoth, and surrounding area in a solid sheet of ice. The aeon snapped her fingers and the ice exploded. The ice shards instantly defeated the Al Bhed but the behemoth was still standing.

Enraged, the behemoth slashed at the aeon with its huge claw, slicing her arm open. The aeon paused, as droplets of blue blood began to stain the ice. Gian hurriedly sprang into action, running his sword straight through the behemoth's midsection, executing his signature maneuver. The behemoth roared loudly and fell face forward in defeat.

Shiva dropped to her knees, staring at her arm that was dripping with blue blood. A couple of blue tears fell from her eyes. Gian walked over to the aeon and knelt in front of her. The aeon gazed curiously into the eyes of the guardian as if she were seeing something familiar, as her tears stopped falling.

"You're injured. Let me help you," the guardian spoke softly, in a comforting manner.

Shiva nervously held her arm out. Gian examined her wound and covered it with his hands, noting that her skin was very cold and tingly to the touch. He began to concentrate, and finally spoke.

"Curaga."

A green wave flashed from the guardian's hands, washing over both of them, centering itself where it was needed the most. Moments later, he removed his hands from her arm. All signs of her injury were gone. Standing, Gian held his hands out to the aeon to help her back to her feet.

"You're all better now. Thank you for helping us," the guardian offered. The aeon took the guardian's hands into her own and returned to her feet, still gazing into his eyes. Finally, she smiled and disappeared in a flash of light.

"Looks like you've made a new friend in Shiva," the summoner observed.

"Shiva, huh? I've seen aeons before, but I've never seen one like her. She's incredible!"

"Just remember, I'm the one you love!" the summoner teased.

"Now, now.. jealousy doesn't become you!"

"Ohh you!" Tara reached for a handful of snow and threw it right at Gian, splattering him in the chest.

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be, huh?" The guardian reached for his own handful of snow, and returned the favor.

Tara instantly pounced on Gian, and the two began to play-wrestle along the snow bank, when suddenly the behemoth stirred to life. With a loud roar, the behemoth rose to its feet and jumped, smashing the ice section that the pair was standing on. They fell through as the behemoth dissolved into pyreflies.

After regaining consciousness, the pair took looked upward and saw the bottom section of Macalania Temple.

"Where are we?" the summoner asked.

"We're below the ice. Look, that's Macalania Temple up there."

"What's that singing I hear? I've heard that in every temple I've been to."

"I believe they call that the 'Hymn of the Fayth'. That's supposedly Yevon's gift, to sooth our souls."

"Well, it's creepy!" Tara observed.

Gian felt the ground shake around him. He looked around and was terrified with what he saw. He looked to the rear and saw a fin. He looked to the right, then the left, and saw what appeared to be shoulders.

"Um, Tara... I don't really know how to tell you this, but..."

Tara was immobilized with fear. "Is this... is this... Sin?"

Sin stirred to life in a rage, spinning violently, creating a whirlpool that both summoner and guardian were sucked into, and everything went dark.

Gian awoke to find himself in what appeared to be a desert oasis.

He was alone.


	13. Chapter 12 - Bikanel Island

**Chapter 12 - Bikanel Island**

Gian looked around for signs of Tara but there were none to be found. The desert expanse appeared to be endless. After refreshing himself at the oasis, he resumed his search.

After hours of walking, the guardian was no closer to finding anything. He paused and dropped to his knees, fatigued, wondering if he was to die in the desert.

He heard a hovercraft off in the distance. He looked up to see the hovercraft headed straight for him. When the vehicle stopped, a familiar face emerged from within.

"Hello Stenn," the guardian spoke.

"We meet again, Sir Gian." The guardian noted that the Al Bhed Commander's weapon was trained on him.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about now?" the guardian asked.

"I will tell you everything. But first, tell me why are you so bound and determined to protect her?"

"Isn't it obvious? She's my summoner," Gian stated, "and she's also the woman I love. If you were in my place, you'd fight just as hard to protect her."

Stenn lowered his weapon. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Get in."

The hovercraft began to move. Gian watched the desert scenery move by rapidly, while he listened to Stenn's voice."

"We don't think it's right." Stenn began to explain.

"You don't think what's right?"

"We don't think it's right that summoners have to sacrifice themselves so the rest of us can live in a short time of peace. So we protect them."

"You kidnap them."

"In a word, yes, if you want to look at it that way. We want all of Spira to be safe, including the summoners." Stenn looked over at Gian, gauging his reaction.

"I get why you're doing it. But protecting the summoner is my job. Why can't you just let me do what I'm supposed to do?

"Can you really protect her when the time comes?" Stenn questioned. "Can you really protect her from the final summoning? Can you really protect her from the Final Aeon who's going to _kill_ her once Sin is gone?"

Gian shrugged. "I don't have all the answers yet. I will find them though. I have to..." His voice trailed off.

"Oddly enough, I believe you, Stenn continued. "That's why I'm going to help you. I'm really not your enemy, you know."

"Where is she?" the guardian asked.

"She's in the Summoner's Sanctum, in a place we Al Bhed call Home."

The hovercraft arrived at the outskirts of a rag-tag gathering of shacks and buildings.

"Here we are. This is Home. This is what The Order of Yevon has done to us," Stenn explained. "All we've ever wanted to do is rid the world of Sin, and live in peace. But Yevon has so vilified us that we're banished to the farthest reaches of Spira - forced to live in this desert, isolated."

"You have to admit that it's at least partially your own doing. You defy Yevon's teachings. You use the forbidden machina!" Gian exclaimed.

"And what's so wrong about that? Truly, why is it so wrong? Did you every really ask yourself that? Or do you just shun new ideas because Yevon says so? Are we to live in the dark ages forever?"

"You make a good point. I guess I never really looked at it like that."

"Come with me. Time for you to meet Cid, our leader." Stenn pointed towards a large man across the yard in front of the shacks. "He's the one you have to convince. For what it's worth, I believe you."

Gian took a look at the Al Bhed Commander. "Thank you, Stenn." He offered his hand to the Al Bhed. Stenn smiled as he shook it.

Gian noticed Cid's glare as he approached the Al Bhed leader. Cid then glared at Stenn.

"Stenn, why'd you bring this Yevonite here, to our home?"

"_Ra ec y vneaht._" Stenn replied.

Cid glared at Gian for what seemed like an eternity, then spoke. "Stenn chooses his friends very carefully. So what do you want?"

"My summoner, and the woman I love and have sword to protect. You have her, and I want her."

"And what'll you do if I give her to you?" Cid asked. "You'll drag her off to Zanarkand and make her fight Sin, won't you? You'll force her to sacrifice herself so you can live in peace. Too many summoners already have died to bring about this peace that never seems to come. So forget it."

"Cid, I love Tara more than anything She's everything to me. I'd die myself, if it meant saving her. I'm not going to let her die. It's true that I haven't figured everything out yet, but I _will not_ let her die. I swear this to you!"

"All I hear is a lot of talk," Cid continued to glare. "Show me action!"

"What would you have me do?" the guardian questioned. "If you know something I don't, now would be a good time to tell me. All I know is that even if it costs me my own life, I _swear_ to you I will not let her die!"

Cid continued to glare at the guardian. Finally, he turned to Stenn, "_Ku kad dra cissuhan._" Turning back to face Gian, Cid spoke once more. "Boy, if you ever forget those words, I'll make you pay dearly for it."

Tara sat alone inside the Summoner's Sanctum. She heard the door being unlocked and she prepared herself, not knowing what was about to happen. She saw Stenn's face as the door opened, but it was a different Stenn than she expected. The Stenn she saw had a smile on his face.

"Come with me," Stenn spoke.

"Where are we going?"

"Sir Gian is here," Stenn replied. "I'm taking you to him."

"Seriously?" the summoner questioned.

"Yes," Stenn continued. "Lady Tara, I was wrong, and I humbly apologize. A lot has happened, and to be honest, nobody is really sure what to make of any of it. Lady Tara, we Al Bhed want Sin gone as much as you do. While I can't speak for every Al Bhed you may encounter, I believe in my heart that you and your guardian really do have Spira's best interest at heart. And I feel it's my duty to help you in any way that I can."

"Why did you kidnap me?" Tara questioned.

"I think kidnap is perhaps too strong a word," Stenn explained. "We Al Bhed want all of Spira to be safe, including the summoners. We... I... have no ill will toward you or your guardian. We were just doing what we felt was right. And I was wrong. And I intend to fix that, no matter what it takes."

"You're really serious, aren't you?" Tara was surprised at Stenn's sudden shift in personality.

"I am," Stenn replied. "I was wrong. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Stenn held out his hand.

"Thank you, Stenn." Tara smiled as she shook the Al Bhed's hand. "Let's go."

Gian sat on a bench while he waited for Stenn to return with Tara. He was approached by a young Al Bhed woman."

"Excuse me, Sir Gian. You're from Bevelle, right?" The guardian nodded. "I've heard a lot about you, and it's nice to meet you. I was wondering, do you know a young man named Braska?"

"I don't know him personally, but I do know who he is."

The young woman seemed disappointed. "My name is Larissa. I was wondering if you'd be willing to do me a small favor. If you see Braska at any point, will you please tell him that I miss him, and I hope he comes back soon?"

The guardian nodded again as he continued to wait for Tara. Finally, she emerged from one of the taller buildings. She ran straight into Gian's arms where they stood holding each other, oblivious to anything else. Stenn observed for just a moment, knowing he made the right decision.

The pair joined hands and had begun to leave Home when Cid's voice called out.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?"

Gian turned around to see Cid behind them.

"What, you gonna just swim back to the mainland? If you're really gonna fight Sin, I want in on it. And I got something that'll help!" Cid headed towards a large hangar building as Stenn was starting to get very excited.

"Gian, come on! You're gonna love this!" the Al Bhed exclaimed.

Tara looked at Stenn, then back at Gian, with an amused look on her face. "The two of you are BFF's now?"

Tara and Gian followed Cid into the hangar, where they saw the single most impressive piece of machina that they had ever seen in their lives.

"What is it?" Tara asked.

"A ship!" Stenn replied. "A ship capable of flying through the air!" The Al Bhed's excitement was off the charts. "Come on, let's go!"

"Flying?" Tara was incredulous. "Through the air?"

"You up for some fun?" Gian teased, as the pair boarded the airship. They took a look around the cockpit, and were amazed at what they saw. Dials, gauges, needles, lever, and knobs, all seeming to have a purpose. Not that he knew what any of it did.

After thoroughly exploring the airship, they returned to the cockpit area. Gian felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a young Al Bhed boy of about fifteen who spoke to him.

_"Dryd cfunt ec payidevim. Ed ec cusadrehk E lyh fung fedr."_

Gian looked towards Cid who replied. "He says he likes your sword. He says it's something he can work with. Krato's a metal-worker and he's pretty darn good at it. If I were you, I'd hand it over."

Gian looked at Tara, then handed his sword to the boy. The pair then took a seat towards the side of the cockpit area.

"Where to?" asked Cid.

"Well," Gian thought aloud, "Bevelle was the next stop on our journey. I guess that's where we need to go next, not that I'm looking foward to it or anything."

"Stenn!" Cid bellowed. "Off to Bevelle!"

Tara looked at Gian. "He knows how to fly this thing?"

"I sure hope so..." the guardian nervously replied.

They felt the craft beginning to rumble. They looked out the window and saw the ground disappearing. Then they started to move. Both watched with amazement as the desert expanse moved quickly underneath them. A short time later, the view of the desert was replaced by a much calmer view of the ocean.

Gian looked up to see a smiling Krato standing before him, holding the sword. Gian unsheathed the weapon and was amazed at the work that the boy had done. The sword's blue-ish tint was replaced with a gleaming white glow, and the guardian felt a power throbbing through it, a power he had never felt before. He offered his hand to the boy and spoke.

"Thank you."

Krato shook hands with Gian and tried to speak. He coughed first in preparation.

"You...you..are...welcome."

Gian smiled at Tara. "Those were probably the first words of our language he's ever spoken."

The pair went below decks to take in the view from the observation area. Tara pointed to an extremely large dragon-like figure, horrified by what she saw. "What the hell is that?"

Gian looked to see something familiar. "Evrae. The Guardian Wyrm. The Sacred Protector of Bevelle. We must be close."

The pair were startled as the intercom crackled to life, with Cid's voice.

"You guys, get out there on deck. We're gonna fight that thing!"

Tara looked at Gian in shock. "Who's this 'we' he's talking about?"

Gian shook his head. "You've _got_ to be kidding me..."

The pair emerged from the observation area onto the deck on top of the ship. Evrae towered above them with a visage that was more terrifying than anything they'd ever seen in their lives.

Evrae reared back, preparing to strike. The beast roared loudly, lunged forward, and then stopped. The beast hung in place for what seemed like an eternity as it stared intently at the guardian.

Gian paused, struck with an idea. He laid his sword down on the deck, then looked over at his summoner. "Tara! Put your staff down, and don't make any threatening moves!"

Tara did as asked, and dryly remarked, "The only move I want to make is back inside!"

Evrae continued to stare at the guardian, it's face no more than fifteen feet away from the pair.

"It's me, Evrae! It's Gian!" the guardian exclaimed. "You recognize me, don't you?"

The beast continued to observe the guardian as it cocked it's head to the side.

"We mean you no harm. We won't hurt you. We're not here to fight!"

Tara slowly moved over towards Gian. "Is it gonna attack us?"

Gian looked back towards Tara. "I don't think so. He seems to recognize me. I was in Bevelle for a long time. He's seen me and I think he knows who I am."

The beast leaned back and let out a loud roar. He then simply flew away, leaving the ship unimpeded.

"What the hell just happened?" came from the intercom.

Gian walked over to press the reply button. "He's going to let us pass."

The ship set down just shy of the Calm Lands. It was a short trek to the entrance to the Highbridge, that led to Bevelle.

"I had hoped to never come back here," the guardian spoke as he took Tara's hand.

Together the pair began to make their way down the Bevelle Highbridge.


	14. Chapter 13 - Bevelle

**Chapter 13 - Bevelle**

Tara and Gian reached the far end of the Bevelle Highbridge. Gian stopped to take a look around.

"Tara, here we are. The Palace of Saint Bevelle. The heart of Yevon, and the largest city in all of Spira. The place I used to call home. A lot of good memories. And, some not-so-good ones as well."

Tara gave Gian's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I know you don't want to be here. Let's just do what we need to do, and move on, okay?"

The pair entered the palace grounds and took a look at their surroundings. Tara spied a gift shop she really wanted to check out.

"Gian, let's stop in here for a few moments, I want to take a look around."

"You go ahead. I have a quick errand I have to take care of. I won't be long. I'll meet you back here, okay?"

Tara looked at her guardian. "Will you be alright?"

"Yes. I just have a quick message to deliver, that's all."

Gian surveyed the courtyard and found the person he was looking for. A tall gentleman, wearing a long white flowing robe, who was seated at one of the lunch tables. Sitting next to him was another man in a long red coat. He approached the table.

"Excuse me, but are you Braska?"

"Yes." The man replied.

Gian continued, "I have a message for you. Larissa says she misses you. She hopes you will visit again soon."

The news made Braska smile. "You've been to Home, I take it?"

"Yes, I was just there an hour or so ago."

This surprised Braska. "And now you're here? I'd love to know how you managed that. Please, have a seat. Join us for lunch. It's on me."

Gian politely declined. "I can't, but thanks anyway. I'm sure the guards have already notified Kinoc that I'm here."

The man in the red coat spoke. "What's Kinoc's problem with you?"

The guardian took a deep breath. "What's Kinoc's problem with anybody? If you know him, you know what he's about."

"Watch yourself," the man in the red coat muttered, "and watch your summoner."

Braska spoke one last time. "You are guardian to Lady Tara of Kilika, yes? Word gets around. I wish you luck."

Gian caught up with Tara who had finished looking around inside the gift shop. He looked at his summoner.

"Are we ready?"

"As ready as I'm going to get," the summoner replied. She clearly did not want to be here any more than he did.

The pair crossed the courtyard and made their way to the path toward Bevelle Temple when Gian heard a voice that was unfortunately all-too-familiar. It was the voice he knew he would not escape Bevelle without hearing.

"You have some nerve showing your face here again. Why have you come back?" Gian turned to face the Bevelle Guard's junior commander, Wen Kinoc.

Tara was not in the mood for any of it. She glared at the man she suspected of being responsible for more than a few of her guardian's headaches.

"Is Bevelle suddenly no longer open to the citizens of Spira? What's it to you?"

"Who the hell are you to talk to me like that?" Kinoc raged. "Do you know who I am?"

Tara met Kinoc's anger. "I have a pretty good suspicion that you're the man who made Gian's life miserable for far too long. And for what reason? Just get the hell out of our way, Kinoc."

A junior guard huffed, "That's Sir Kinoc!" Gian shot the man a look that suggested silence would be the best option. The junior guard got the message.

Kinoc laughed loudly, "Really, Gian? Gonna let the little woman fight your battles for you, eh?"

"Kinoc, she's way out of your league," the guardian chuckled. "Do yourself a favor. Quit now, while you_think_ you're still ahead."

Kinoc was amused. "You disappoint me, Gian. You could have had everything. And now look at you."

The guardian shrugged. "Alright Kinoc, I'll take the bait. Yes, look at me. I gave Bevelle ten years of of my life, and ten years of exemplary service. I wasn't going to accomplish anything more here. So I decided to move on with my life. I have a home now. A home on a beautiful island." He took hold of Tara's hand and smiled. Tara smiled defiantly as well. "I have an absolutely wonderful woman who loves me. Do you have any idea what that's like, Kinoc? You say I could have had everything. In every way that matters, I _do_ have everything.

Kinoc just shook his head.

Gian continued, "Let's have a little truth here, Kinoc. I gave Bevelle everything I had to give. I wasn't going to accomplish anything else here. You would have seen to that personally. Why? Because I questioned you? Any good officer would have done the same. I wouldn't want to serve under someone who considered their own intellect beyond reproach. There was nothing more for me here. So I decided to move on with my life. I never did anything to stand in your way, ever. I just moved on. Is that really so terrible?"

"I can see I'm wasting my time here. Go on. Go. Get out of here! Go home to your little backwater island and take your smart-mouthed little whore with you!"

Before Gian could react, Tara stepped forward and leveled Kinoc with a right cross that knocked the self-important commander squarely onto his rear end. It was a punch that would have made any of the warrior monks proud.

Kinoc sputtered and fumed with rage. He began screaming at the guards.

"What are you waiting for? Get them!"

Gian quickly moved in front of his summoner to meet the rush of the guards.

"Tara, run! I'll hold them off and meet you at you-know-where!"

The fight was not going in Gian's favor as he was greatly outnumbered. Suddenly, the mysterious young man in the red coat appeared and leveled two of the guards with a couple of well-placed sword strikes. The remaining guards quickly fled, knowing now that they were the ones who were over-matched. Kinoc was nowhere to be found.

The man in red surveyed the area.

"I know a less-obvious route to the temple. We must hurry. Come."

The pair quickly and quietly made their way through Bevelle's back streets.

"Thanks for the help," the guardian offered. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Auron," was the reply.

Being unfamiliar with Bevelle Palace, Tara had no way to know she was moving in the wrong direction. She ran through hallways, up staircases, through more hallways, doors, chambers, and finally, she burst through a door that she hoped would lead her into one of the city's back alleys. Instead, she found herself high atop the bridge that lead to the Altar of the Grand Maester. _Shoot, Tara… now you've really done it! _Tara kept running, hoping there would be an exit on the other side of the bridge. Unfortunately, there was no exit to be found. Six guards burst through the same door that she had come through and they were intent on making their capture.

Tara got an idea she thought was so crazy that it just might work. Tara ran straight towards the back of the altar with every ounce of strength that she had. _If there really is some sort of heavenly deity watching over us, please be watching now, and let this work!_ Tara approached the edge of the altar and jumped, leaving the guards in stunned silence.

As Tara plummeted towards the Bevelle streets, she reached out and began to summon. _Valefor, I need you! Hurry!_ The wondrous bird-like aeon emerged through a beautiful silver-white burst in the sky. With blinding speed, Valefor swooped underneath and caught the summoner in her outstretched wings. Still shaking with fear, Tara offered her thanks to the aeon, which flew her straight to the entrance of Bevelle Temple.

Gian and Auron arrived at the temple shortly afterwards. The warriors quickly made their way through the trials and ended up in the antechamber. The fact that Bevelle Temple was adorned with forbidden machina was not lost on either of the warriors. Gian quickly moved towards the door leading into the Chamber of the Fayth. He tried to lift it with all his might but was unable to. The door would not budge.

"What are you doing? Auron exclaimed. "You can't go in there. It is forbidden!"

Gian looked directly into Auron's eyes.

"Forbidden by who? By Yevon who routinely lies to its own people, and who betray their own teachings? You saw everything in this temple that I saw, and you know what it means just the same as I do. Auron, there's only one thing in this world I care about, and she's on the other side of this door.

Gian resumed his attempt to lift the door open. Auron lent his strength and together, they managed to open the door to the Chamber of the Fayth. Gian smiled and clasped Auron's shoulder in a simple gesture of appreciation and friendship.

"Thanks again for the help. You might want to get out of here before you get caught. Give Braska my best."

Auron returned Gian's gesture and nodded. "I will. You be careful." The warrior was then gone.

Gian took a long look around. He had never seen the inside of a Chamber of the Fayth before. Neither had anybody else who wasn't a summoner. He saw Tara praying to what appeared to be a little boy with dark skin who was dressed in purple shorts, top, and a hood.

The being hung in place for a moment and then floated directly into Tara's body in a blinding flash of light. Tara lost consciousness. Gian turned to carry his summoner outside the chamber, when the little boy in purple appeared once more. He spoke to Gian directly.

"One day, we will talk."

Gian emerged from the chamber with Tara in his arms. He was not surprised to see more guards waiting for him. Before the guardian could react, there was another blinding flash of light. The awe-inspiring aeon Bahamut appeared. The guards were so terrified at the sight of the dragon, they failed to notice Gian sneaking out the front door, with Tara still in his arms.

Gian wondered how the aeon had appeared, when Tara was still unconscious, unable to summon him. He quickly hurried through one of the secondary doors and into a dimly lit hall where everything appeared to look the same. He heard several footsteps, then the click of the door's lock. He expected it, and he knew he would not leave this location the same way he entered.

When Tara awoke, she hurriedly flew into her guardians arms.

"Gian! I've never been so scared in my life!" the summoner cried. "Are we safe now?"

Gian comforted his summoner, who had laid her head upon his shoulder and was still sobbing. "Yes, we're safe for the time being. But we're not in a safe place. This is the Via Purifico. This is where Bevelle sends its prisoners to die."

The Via Purifico was filled with undead creatures. It took quite some time for Gian and Tara to fight their way to the exit, but they finally made it out. As the pair left Bevelle, Gian remained silent.

Pausing at the entrance to the Calm Lands, Tara spoke.

"Gian, what is it? You've been pretty quiet ever since we left Bevelle."

"I've just been thinking about Yevon's teachings," the guardian replied. "I saw an awful lot in the temple that would betray those teachings. It just makes me wonder. Stenn said something about 'living in the dark ages forever' and it really just made me re-think a lot of things. If Yevon would lie to us about machina, what else would they lie to us about?"

"I can't answer that. All I know is that we still have each other," Tara smiled. "And if you ask me, that's all we need."

The pair shared a long hug. Tara's word sunk into Gian's heart as he looked at her and returned her smile. She was right.

Taking Tara's hand, the pair made their way into the Calm Lands.


	15. Chapter 14 - Calm Lands

**Chapter 14 - Calm Lands**

Tara and Gian surveyed the Calm Lands. They saw an endless expanse of hills, valleys, and mountains.

"The Calm Lands. This is where the High Summoners fought Sin," Gian explained. "The road ends here. From this point on, it's endless plains, mountains, and who knows what else."

"I just can't get over how big this place is!" Tara exclaimed. "It will take us quite some time to cross."

The pair started to make their way down the ledge and into the Calm Lands proper. Gian stopped, noticing something further down into the plains - something familiar.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

Tara took a look in the direction that Gian had pointed to. She saw what appeared to be a building. As they made their way closer, they saw a person jumping up and down, waving, trying to get their attention.

As soon as they were close enough to see the sign that read "Travel Agency," Gian began to smile. The person waving at them was also familiar.

"Alyssa!" Tara exlaimed as she ran up and hugged the girl. "What are you doing out here?"

Alyssa pointed back towards the Travel Agency building. "Well, what do you think? Huh? You like it? Guess what! It's mine! Rin gave it to me!

"Really?" Tara remarked, "Alyssa, that's terrific! I'm so happy for you!"

"It's pretty cool, right?" Alyssa giggled. "He wanted to thank me for all my work since he got started with the Travel Agencies. So he gave this one to me as a thank you. Take a look! We have everything here, plus a whole lot of room for the chocobos!"

"You have chocobos here?" Gian asked, with a smile forming on his face.

"Not just any chocobos," Alyssa continued, "Your chocobos! I brought Coco and Diablo with me. And you can ride'em any time you want! A promise is a promise, right?"

"That would be a big help." Gian took another look at the vast expanse of the Calm Lands. "This place is huge!" He was feeling a sudden urge. "Um, Alyssa, I don't suppose you have..."

"Coffee?" Alyssa giggled. "Yes, Rin told me about how much you love coffee. He made sure I had plenty of it!"

Gian was so happy at the news, that he hugged Alyssa as well. Alyssa giggled loudly as she returned the guardian's hug.

"Let's go inside and rest!" the young shopkeeper exclaimed. "I'm sure you must be hungry from your trip."

After a wonderful meal prepared by Alyssa, the threesome went outside to the chocobo stables. Alyssa began to explain.

"Keep in mind, the chocobos won't leave the Calm Lands. If you dismount them, they'll wait for you in the same spot, unless you tell them to go. Then they'll come back here. But remember, they won't leave the Calm Lands!"

"Got it." Tara replied. "Alyssa, thank you so much for everything!"

"No problem at all!" Alyssa smiled. "Rin told me, above all else, 'You just make sure you take good care of Lady Tara and Sir Gian!'"

Tara and Gian mounted their chocobos and began to ride. Tara looked over towards Gian. "Where to?"

"Let's go back the way we came. I saw something I kinda want to check out."

They rode back towards the entrance of the Calm Lands and continued to the ledge where they could see a path off into the distance.

"You remember how to do this?" the guardian asked. He backed up to give Diablo some space, then proceeded towards the edge where Diablo jumped down onto a lower ledge that had access to the path that he had seen.

"Right behind you!" the summoner exlaimed as Coco made the jump.

Remembering that Alyssa had said that the chocobos would not leave the Calm Lands, the pair dismounted and made their way down the path on foot. What they saw next was beyond shocking.

They saw what appeared to be an old and abandoned temple, with a long bridge leading up to the entrance. Underneath the bridge was a downward expanse that appeared to be endless.

"Um.. Gian... this bridge doesn't look that safe. And my God.. look how far down that goes! If we fall, we're done for!"

"Tell me about it!" the guardian replied. "Just keep looking forward and don't look down!" The pair began to make their way across the shaky bridge. They hugged once they made it to the other side.

"What is this place?" Tara asked.

"Could this be... Remiem Temple?" the guardian asked. "Rumor says that Remiem Temple was in the Calm Lands but it's been abandoned for quite some time. Well, we're here, so we might as well take a look around."

Inside the temple they saw another familiar face.

"Lady Belgemine," the summoner spoke.

"Welcome to Remiem Temple, Lady Tara. How goes your journey?"

"We're making it, I suppose. What are you doing here?"

"This is my... home, for lack of a better term. Let's see how you've progressed. Are you ready for another contest? A friendly one, of course."

"Okay, I accept." the summoner said.

"Allow me to heal your aeons first." Belegime began her summoning ritual, calling for Bahamut. Tara responded by summoning Shiva.

Meanwhile, Gian had decided to explore the outer perimeter of the temple. He walked along a short path where he found a waiting chocobo. He read the sign next to the chocobo's stable.

_A prize awaits the person who defeats the chocobo champion._

Gian wondered what that meant. He noticed the chocobo jumping up and down and he figured that meant the chocobo wanted to go for a ride. He took a look further down the path that spiraled to a point a couple hundred feet downward, toward an apex. He also took note that the path was only a yard and a half wide, with endless downward expanse on both sides.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." the guardian moaned, as he mounted the chocobo.

Back inside the temple, the back and forth battle between Bahamut and Shiva was progressing. Shiva performed the same ice-shattering maneuver that she had performed outside Macalania Temple. Bahamut fell to his knees in defeat.

"Stop. That is enough," Belgemine stated. "Lady Tara, you have progressed extremely well. I think you may well be the one to defeat Sin."

"Thank you, Lady Belgemine. I look forward to learning more from you in the future."

Belgemine smiled. "I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"Why not?" the summoner asked.

"With your summoning ability, combined with your expertise in black magic, you have progressed beyond the level of any summoner ever known to Spira. I'm afraid I have nothing more to teach you. My work is complete and now it is time for me to go." Belgemine hoped that Tara understood what she was trying to say.

Tara gave a knowing smile. "Thank you again for everything." Tara performed the sending ritual, and Belgemine dissolved into pyreflies.

Outside the temple, the race began. Gian closed his eyes, placing his trust in the chocobo he was riding. He only opened his eyes when he felt the bird come to a stop. He found himself at the apex he saw earlier where a small treasure chest awaited him. Opening the chest, he removed a small hand mirror that was cloudy from years of neglect.

_I wonder what this is for?_

The guardian figured that the item would not be in such an obscure, yet notable, location unless it were important in one way or another, so he decided to keep it for future use. He then mounted the chocobo again, for the ride back up to the main level.

Rejoining Tara, he noticed the sad look on her face.

"What happened?" the guardian asked.

"Lady Belgemine is gone. I sent her. I'm pretty sure that's what she wanted. She said she had nothing more to teach me and that I was now beyond any summoner who had ever existed. Me! Can you believe that?"

Gian took Tara into his arms. "Is that so surprising? We really have come a long way since we started."

The pair made their way to the back of the antechamber towards an unknown Chamber of the Fayth. As Tara approached, the door slid upward.

"Shall we?" the summoner asked.

"You go on ahead. I don't feel right being in there."

Tara smiled, "Okay, I'll be right back."

A short time later, Tara staggered out of the chamber.

"Are you okay?" the guardian asked, concerned.

Reaching for Gian, she collapsed onto him. "I'll be fine. There were... three of them this time!"

After resting for a short period, the pair exited Remiem Temple and made their way across the bridge leading back to the Calm Lands.

"We're done in there, right Gian? We won't have to cross that bridge again, will we?"

"Well, I'm not planning on it, I can promise you that much!" the guardian quipped.

Nightfall was approaching, so the pair returned to the Travel Agency, where they retired for the evening. The next morning, they awoke to discover that Alyssa had prepared an incredible breakfast for them, along with hot, fresh coffee.

Marveling at Alyssa's cooking skills, Gian made sure there were no leftovers. He looked over at Alyssa.

"You know, you're gonna make some future husband incredibly happy with cooking like this!"

Tara just shook her head, laughing.

Alyssa smiled "I'm very happy you like everything! Where are you off to today?"

Tara responded. "We're going to try to cross the Calm Lands, and see what lies beyond. We've been through a lot since we started, but I have a feeling we haven't seen anything yet, if you know what I mean."

"Well, you better eat some more then! You want to be full of energy to take on whatever's out there!"

"Well, if you're gonna twist my arm..." the guardian chuckled. "How about some more of those eggs?"

"Umm.. Gian, you ate them all!" Alyssa dryly remarked. All three burst into laughter. "There won't be any more until Rin send more supplies my way!"

Outside the travel agency building, the pair begain to make preparations to continue the journey.

"Alyssa, thank you so much for everything. We'll be back to see you again once this is all over with." She hugged the girl tightly.

"Best of luck to you, Lady Tara!" Alyssa replied, returning Tara's hug.

"Just Tara. We're friends. Remember that!"

"Stock up, I'll be hungry when we get back!" the guardian quipped.

"I"ll be ready and waiting!" Alyssa replied as she hugged the guardian.

As the pair rode across the Calm Lands, Gian looked over towards Tara.

"You really don't like being called Lady Tara, do you?" the guardian chuckled.

"I'm still the same person I've always been," she replied. "How about you with Sir Gian?"

"I've always been Sir Gian, even when I was a Guardsman in Bevelle. It's nothing new to me. I just don't pay much attention to it. But yeah, just Gian is okay as well."

The pair reached the exit of the Calm Lands and dismounted their chocobos. Remembering Alyssa's instruction, Tara looked over towards her chocobo and hugged the bird.

"Go Coco!" She watched as the bird took off, making her way back towards the Travel Agency.

Gian said his goodbyes to Diabo and sent the bird back to the Travel Agency as well. He then joined hands with Tara as they proceeded into the area beyond the Calm Lands.

"Remember that High Summoner Gandalf's Scar that I mentioned to you back in the Thunder Plains? We're about to see it. And this is as far north as I've ever been. Beyond this point, we'll discover everything together."

"Together," Tara replied. "I really like that word."

Gian looked deeply into Tara's eyes.

_With everything she's seen and experienced, somehow, she still smiles._

"Do me a favor, Tara?"

"Of course!"

"Don't ever lose that smile."

Hand in hand, the pair began to make their way down into the Fayth Scar.


	16. Chapter 15 - Cavern of the Stolen Fayth

**Chapter 15 - Cavern of the Stolen Fayth**

As Tara and Gian began to make their way down into the gorge, Gian began to explain.

"This is the scar I mentioned before. I'm not really sure how it happened, but it's said that the battle between High Summoner Gandalf's Final Aeon and Sin was so intense, that... well, this happened."

"Must've been one heck of a battle!" the summoner exclaimed.

"Also, the rumors are that a cave down here contains a fayth that was stolen from a temple... a temple that doesn't exist anymore."

"Why... and who would steal a fayth?" Tara questioned. "I don't get it!"

"Well, if you were part of a group that didn't want to see summoners 'sacrifice' themselves, you might steal a fayth in order to keep them from completing their pilgrimage, right?"

The pair made their way to the dark and desolate cave at the end of the gorge. Tara looked over at Gian.

"No, this doesn't look even the slightest bit creepy," she dryly remarked.

"I know. I don't really want to go in there either. But if there's an aeon, you need it, right?"

Tara took Gian's hand, and the pair made their way into the cavern.

Eerie noises and flashes of light greeted the pair as they slowly made their way through. Tara saw something of interest off to the center of the cavern.

"What could this be?" she asked.

"Hard to say," the guardian replied. "It looks like it might be a teleport pad of some kind, but it probably hasn't worked in years." He pressed a couple of directional buttons on the pad, and nothing happened. "Oh well," he sighed. "Let's move on."

The pair were encountered by more undead creatures, similar to what they saw in Bevelle's Via Purifico. They eventually made their way towards the final cavern where they saw another teleport pad.

"There doesn't seem to be anything here," Tara noted.

Gian pressed a button on the pad and the device stirred to life. The corners of the device began to flash in succession, indicating directions.

"I wonder where this thing will send us to?" the guardian mused aloud.

"I'm not sure I really want to find out!"

Both took a deep breath and stood upon the pad. Gian reached down to press the button on the left. They dematerialized and reappeared in a sealed cavern where the saw nothing but a treasure chest. He opened it to find several pounds of gil coins.

"Hey, alright!" the guardian exclaimed. "We weren't hurting for gil before, but this is good. This works!"

"Hmmm," observed Tara. "I hope that thing will send us back the way we came."

They stepped on the pad, and moments later found themselves back in the cavern they were in previously. Gian looked at Tara.

"Care to try door number two?"

They stood upon the pad, and Tara reached down to press the button on the right. They were once again whisked off into another sealed cavern.

"There doesn't seem to be anything in here," Gian observed.

"Wait! There's a chest, way back there in the corner," Tara exclaimed. Opening the chest, Tara pulled out a single gold coin. "It appears to be a coin. But it's too dark in here. I can't really see what it is." The pair stepped onto the pad and once again found themselves in the main cavern.

Tara handed the coin to Gian, who examined it. The coin had a familiar constellation pattern, with an inscription at the bottom.

_Perseus_

"Tara, I think this one's for you. Take a look at it." He handed the coin back to her. The summoner's eyes widened as she read the inscription at the bottom.

"Could this be?" she exclaimed.

Gian took the coin and placed it into the center of Tara's medallion. It began to glow and the coin fused itself into the medallion. It was now whole.

"I think we might be a step closer to discovering what these medallions might represent," the guardian remarked. "Although mine is still incomplete."

"Two directions down," the summoner observed. "Two more to go."

"I'm just going to take a guess here and say that one of them might lead back to that pad at the cavern entrance," Gian noted. "It's this last direction that has me a little nervous."

Tara and Gian stepped onto the pad. As Tara reached down to press the forward button, a large undead ghoul appeared. They hurried off the pad and settled into fighting position.

"Whatever's back there," the guardian wondered aloud, "Could this be its protector?"

Gian slashed at the ghoul, serving only to enrage it. It reached forward with a large claw, slashing back at the guardian."

"Gian!" Tara screamed. "Watch out!" She hurled a Thundaga spell at the ghoul, halting its momentum.

Tara began to perform the summoning ritual. Moments later, three female aeons emerged inside the cavern. A tall slender aeon dressed in red, a short and stout aeon dressed in blue, and a tiny aeon dressed in yellow. The trio surrounded the ghoul and began to contain it within an energy beam. From the eyes of each aeon emerged a second beam of terrifying power. The ghoul was bombarded by beam after beam, howling in pain, enraged. The three aeons disappeared.

The ghoul responded by casting a spell at Tara, freezing her in place.

"Gian! Help!" Tara screamed. "This thing is draining me!"

The guardian sheathed his sword, and pressed his hands together in a prayer-like manner. He felt energy gathering from within. He waved his hands outward toward the ghoul. The ghoul was pelted by several beams of blinding white light, the power of which broke the spell over Tara. Gian then drew his sword and ran it straight through the ghoul. The ghoul shook, convulsed, and exploded into pyreflies.

Tara fell to her knees with exhaustion. Gian gently laid her down upon the cavern floor. She looked up at him. He placed a hand on her forehead, and the other hand on her tummy. He began to concentrate.

"Curaja."

A blinding green flash enveloped the entire cavern. The wave washed over summon and guardian, and moments later, both were back at full strength."

"You seem to have some new things in your bag of tricks," the summoner weakly spoke.

Gian looked down at Tara, brushing a lock of black hair from her face. "You're right. I'm not really sure how it happened. It seems I have another level of cure and heal spells, plus another spell. 'Holy,' the ultimate white magic."

Smiling, she sat up and wrapped her arms around him. "Are you okay?" Gian asked as he wrapped his arms around her in return.

"I will be. Let's just sit here a few more minutes, okay?"

A short time later, the pair rose to their feet and made their way back toward the teleport pad. Gian reached down to press the forward button. They were whisked into yet another cavern where they heard the familiar singing.

Tara knelt down to pray. As she prayed, a masked warrior appeared, dressed in something similar to Crusaders garb. The fayth's booming voice echoed throughout the cavern.

"I am the blade of vengeance. None dare speak my name. Yojimbo. If you desire my services, you must pay my..." The fayth stopped to stare intently at the medallions worn by Tara and Gian.

"Price?" Gian asked.

"Centaurus... Perseus..." the fayth continued, "you are the ones we have been waiting for. You need not pay me. I will join you, and my sword shall protect you on your journey."

The fayth became translucent and floated into Tara's body, disappearing in a flash of light. Tara sat for a moment before returning to her feet.

"Two more references to these medallions, and yet we still don't know what they're for" Tara mused aloud.

Gian took Tara's hand and began to lead her back toward the teleport pad. "I think that when we're meant to know, we will know."

The pair stepped onto the pad, and Gian reached down to press the back button. They found themselves in the cavern they had came from. Gian again reached down to press the back button. Moments later, they were at the first cavern, with the exit right in front of them.

Hand in hand, they walked back out into the sunlight. They made their way back up the gorge, where they took the path that headed to their next destination.

Gian took a last look at the tremendous expanse of the Calm Lands. _I'll never take sunlight for granted again._

Gian looked over at Tara. "Have you ever seen a member of the Ronso tribe?"

Tara shook her head. "I've heard of them though."

"You're about to," the guardian remarked. "Mount Gagazet is the home of the Ronso. It's their sacred mountain. And that's where we're going next."


	17. Chapter 16 - Mount Gagazet

**Chapter 16 - Mount Gagazet**

Tara and Gian made their way up the snow-covered path of Mount Gagazet, when they were stopped by several members of the Ronso tribe. The Ronso were a warrior species who resembled heavily muscled bipedal feline creatures. They were quick-tempered, and not to be trifled with.

"Halt!" the Ronso in front barked. "Mount Gagazet is sacred Ronso territory. Humans not allowed here. Not defile our mountain!"

"I am the summoner Tara from the Island of Kilika," she spoke, "My guardian Gian and I have come to fight Sin. Please let us pass."

A loud, booming belly laugh was heard from within the crowd of Ronso. A large and decorated Ronso emerged.

"Elder Kelk hear of Lady Tara. Flatten warrior Kinoc with one punch. Make Ronso proud! And Gian is formidable warrior. Both worthy of Sacred Mount Gagazet."

The Ronso elder made his way to Gian where he stood face to face with the guardian, looking down into his eyes.

"You will climb?" The Ronso elder questioned. The guardian nodded. "Then Sacred Mount Gagazet welcomes you. Ronso! Let them pass."

The Ronso elder observed as the summoner and guardian began to make their way up the mountain.

"Lady Tara. Small frame. Beautiful smile. Terrifying power. And a will that the mightiest Ronso could not hope to bend. Sir Gian. Warrior of honor and pride. Guiding force, and wisdom hidden by humility. Sacred Mount Gagazet! Welcome them."

Tara and Gian continued up the mountain path. They noticed Ronso on both sides of the path bank, singing the eerie Hymn of the Fayth. They continued past the Ronso, where they saw the skeletal remains of what appeared to be a human being.

Gian looked over at Tara. "Many summoners died here. There was nobody to send them."

A horrified Tara remarked, "Then that means..."

"They either roam this mountain as fiends," Gian looked into Tara's eyes, "or unsents."

Tara and Gian continued to make their way up into the mountain, forced to fight a wide variety of powerful fiends. They entered a cavern that appeared to lead towards an exit on the other side of the mountain. They were stopped by a dark figure who appeared to have been waiting for them.

"Welcome, Lady Tara and Sir Gian," the being spoke.

"Who are you?" Tara asked.

"I am Horus, Guardian of Gagazet," the being spoke. "You have done very well to make it this far. It has been almost a century since the last of your kind reached this point."

Gian looked over at Tara. "Lady Yocun?" Tara had no reply.

"You must pass my trial in order to proceed," Horus spoke, "but be warned - it will be a very dangerous trial. If you succeed, you may pass. If you fail, you may well die."

Tara was resolute. "We're not turning back."

"Very well."

A blinding white light flashed and Gian found himself back in the Calm Lands, with Tara by his side.

"Is this it?" he asked.

"It appears so," came the reply from Tara.

Sin appeared directly in front of the pair. Tara summoned Valefor who was immediately struck down by the monster who had caused Spira's suffering for almost a thousand years.

One by one, Tara's aeons were defeated. She looked into her guardian's eyes, realizing she only had one option left. Tara raised her staff once more, summoning her Final Aeon.

Tara's final summoning called forth an aeon of unbelievable proportions. A female warrior twenty stories tall, who appeared to be a much more terrifying version of Shiva.

"Go, Eden!" Tara exclaimed.

Tara was aghast when Sin struck Eden down as well. Sin gathered energy and cast a beam that enveloped the pair in darkness. After regaining consciousness, Gian quickly cast Curaja. He opened his eyes and saw Tara's lifeless body a short distance away. He ran to her as quickly as he could.

"Tara!" he screamed. "Tara! No... Oh God no.. Tara! Please! Talk to me! Don't leave me!' He sobbed, burying his face into her shoulder and chest, holding her tightly. "Don't leave me like this... don't leave me... Please!"

The light flashed again. Gian found himself alone in a greyish void. He turned around to face Horus, who had a sad look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Sir Gian. Both of you are dead."

"No!" the guardian exclaimed. "That can't be! I'm here! Right now!"

"I realize how things appear," Horus continued, "but things are what they are. You have failed."

"No! Send me back!" Gian pleaded, tears welling in his eyes. "Send me back to where I was!"

"You've already failed once. You would go back and fight Sin again, alone?"

"If that's what it takes," the guardian pleaded. "I will never give up! I will continue to fight! If I have to fight alone, so be it. Sin may have taken from me the only thing that ever mattered, but I still have more to give. I still have fight left in me!

Horus walked up to the guardian and smiled. "Congratulations, Sir Gian. You have passed the trial."

The light flashed again, and Tara found herself back in the courtyard in Bevelle. She heard a voice laughing behind her.

"I always knew you'd turn out to be a failure, just like that boyfriend of yours." Tara recognized the voice. She turned around to see Kinoc laughing at her.

"What am I doing here?" she asked.

"Simple. You're dead, and we're here together, for all eternity in the afterlife."

"Stop it, Kinoc," Tara responded. "What kind of cruel joke is this?"

"Oh, it's no joke," Kinoc continued. "You fought Sin, and you failed miserably. You and your boyfriend Gian are both dead."

Tara collapsed to her knees, as she listened to Kinoc's words. "No... it can't be..."

"But it is."

Tara turned away from the voice. "No!" Tears began to form in her eyes. "This can't be how everything ends!" she sobbed. She picked herself up and started walking back toward the Bevelle Highbridge.

"Where are you going?" Kinoc asked.

"Back to the Calm Lands. This isn't over. Sin has taken from me the only man I've ever loved in my life." The tears and sobs continued. "But I won't quit. I won't give up. Sin is still out there and I will destroy it!" She collapsed onto her knees once more. "I don't know how, but I will do it..."

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Tara."

Surprised, she turned around to see something she never expected to see - the kind and gentle face of the man that Wen Kinoc once was. She watched as Kinoc slowly began to change shape, revealing that it was not really Kinoc. It was Horus all along."

"Congratulations, Lady Tara," Horus smiled. "You have passed the trial."

The white light flashed once more and everybody had returned to their previous location at the Fayth Scar, deep inside Mount Gagazet.

Tara and Gian ran straight into each others arms, each holding the other as tightly as possible. After a short while, they turned toward Horus.

"I am so proud of both of you," Horus spoke. "I put you both into situations where you were forced to face your deepest fears. And I am very pleased to say that you both have conquered those fears admirably. If you are angry with me, I would certainly understand why, but please know that it _was_ necessary. I had to determine just how far both of you would go. I had to know that both of you were really willing to continue to fight Sin, even though I made it appear as if you had lost everything. You have made me realize that you are indeed the ones who will rid Spira of this monster once and for all. Please continue, with my deepest blessing and gratitude."

Still holding each other, Gian turned back to Tara.

"It wasn't real..." the guardian softly spoke. "I'm here. You can feel me. You can hear me. Tara, I will _never _leave you. And that's a promise."

Tara began to cry, tears of happiness streaming down her face. "And you're still stuck with me!" Both began to laugh, and then they kissed. They turned again to Horus, who was smiling as he faded away.

The pair sat down at the base of Fayth Scar to rest. After a short while, they stood and resumed the path through the mountain. They made their way outside to the ledge. Gian took a look down the side of the mountain. He saw a long deserted path. He instinctively knew where it would lead.

"Zanarkand," the guardian spoke. "We're almost there. Our journey that started in Kilika, it's almost complete. It all comes down to this. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready," Tara replied. "And as long as you're with me, I'm not afraid of anything anymore."

"Me either," Gian replied, as he took Tara's hand.

The pair started to make their way around the mountain when they saw something so incredible that neither had the words to explain it. They saw the entire mountain face covered with Fayth.

"Fayth?" Tara couldn't believe her eyes. "And someone's using them! Who has _that_ kind of power? Who could possibly summon this many fayth all at once?"

"I don't know," Gian replied. "And I'm not sure I really want to either. I have a feeling though, that we're going to find out."

Tara and Gian looked into each others eyes. Both knew of their own determination, and they could see the same in each others' eyes. Together, they pressed forward.

To Zanarkand.


	18. Chapter 17 - Zanarkand Ruins

**Chapter 17 - Zanarkand Ruins**

Tara and Gian entered the ruins of what was once the wondrous city of Zanarkand. Once a vibrant and thriving city, it was now reduced to a pile of rubble - utterly destroyed by Bevelle in the Great War, almost a thousand years ago.

The pair made their way to a clearing that was just meters in front of the road leading into the city. Tara stood, overlooking the ruins, trying to imagine what the city was like a thousand years ago. Gian climbed up to the top of a small hill next to a statue. He looked at the ruins and tried to imagine what the city was once like as well.

They joined hands and prepared to cross the path leading into the city. They stopped to take another look around. They saw low-lying clouds and eerie flashes of light.

"This looks like the Farplane!" Tara exclaimed.

"A lot of memories and secrets are trapped here." Gian responded.

An old man appeared out of nowhere and spoke.

"Journeyer of the long road, name yourself."

"I am the summoner Tara of the Island of Kilika, and this is my guardian Gian," Tara replied.

"Your eyes," the old man beckoned. "Show me your eyes, my dear. Let me see the long road you have traveled."

He walked up to Tara and looked intently into her eyes.

"You have journeyed well. Lady Yunalesca will most certainly welcome your arrival. Go to her now, and take your guardian with you." The old man disappeared.

The pair heard another voice behind them, coming from what appeared to be a young woman.

"If it might benefit the people of Spira, then use my life. It is the highest honor for which a guardian may ask. Use my life, Lady Yocun, and rid Spira of Sin forever!"

"Okay, this is getting really creepy, Gian!" Tara exclaimed. "What exactly was that?"

"One of our predecessors," the guardian replied. "I told you - memories and secrets are trapped here. Although it's hard to believe that she guarded High Summoner Yocun. She was so young."

The pair continued down the broken road, heading towards what looked like the outside of a blitzball stadium. Another vision appeared – a young guardian, who appeared to be very scared.

"What? What do you mean there's no final aeon?"

Tara and Gian looked at each other, neither having any explanation. Gian took Tara's hand and entered the remains of the Zanarkand Dome. They made their way down towards the antechamber where a large colorful puzzle awaited them.

"Trials," Tara remarked. "They're here too."

"You were thinking there weren't gonna be any?" the guardian chuckled.

"Well, more like hoping."

Roughly an hour later, Tara and Gian had solved the puzzle and made their way though the door that led to the next room. A large and terrifying demon was waiting for them.

"Fiends?" Gian exclaimed, "in the temple?"

Tara wasted no time. Summoning Bahamut, the fearsome dragon appeared and cast its Megaflare spell. The demon howled in pain, and then struck back, knocking Tara unconscious.

"Tara!" the guardian screamed. The platform he stood on brightened and appeared to be changing colors. He felt the platform destabilizing beneath him. He hurriedly jumped platforms to where Tara lied. The guardian quickly cast a Curaja spell, and then knelt down in front of her. He placed his hand on her forehead and shouted. His voice boomed through the entire chamber.

"Shiva! If you can hear me, I need you! Please come!"

Nothing happened.

The Curaja spell took effect and Tara slowly returned to her feet. She looked over at Gian with a weak smile on her face.

"That's my job, dear." she mused as she began to summon Shiva.

Shiva appeared once more and performed her trademark ice-shattering maneuver. The demon was torn to pieces by razor-sharp ice shards, and it then exploded into pyreflyes.

Tara looked over at Gian and began to giggle.

"That's one that I'm going to tell our kids in the future."

"Hey, I was panicked! I thought it would work!" the guardian responded with a sheepish smile on his face.

Tara noticed a treasure chest that had appeared in front of the display unit. She walked over to open the treasure chest and opened it. A singular gold coin was inside. She looked at the coin and took note of the inscription at the bottom.

_Centaurus_

"This one's for you!" She flipped the coin over to Gian who caught it. Examining the coin, he knew immediately what it was. He inserted the coin into the center of his medallion. And in similar fashion to Tara's medallion, the coin began to glow. It then fused itself to the medallion.

Both medallions were now complete.

"Still no answers though," the guardian shrugged. "Oh well, we're here. Are you ready, Tara? The moment we've waited for is now upon us. Go do what we came here to do.

Tara stood in front of the platform, and seconds later, the center section appeared. Stepping onto it, the section began to lower itself, taking Tara to its intended destination.

Gian continued to examine his medallion. He was no closer to solving its mystery than he was before, back on the Mi'ihen Highroad.

The platform returned.

"Gian! Come quick! Something's very wrong here!"

Together, they stood upon the center section and the lift began to lower. The ride only lasted a few seconds. The entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth then presented itself.

Gian followed Tara inside, who remarked. "This isn't a Fayth. It's just an empty statue!"

The old man who had greeted the pair at the entrance to Zanarkand appeared before them once more.

"That was Lord Zaon, the first Fayth of the Final Summoning. All that he was... is lost. But fear not. Lady Yunalesca will show you the path. What you seek will be yours. Go now. The Lady awaits."

"Lady Yunalesca," Gian remarked. "The very first summoner to ever defeat Sin. I have a feeling that things are about to come full-circle. The mystery of a thousand years is about to be revealed."

Tara and Gian walked into an elegantly-appointed, if dusty, antechamber. A tall, slender figure with long, flowing white hair was walking down the staircase opposite them.

"Lady Yunalesca," Tara spoke. She recognized Yunalesca's face from her childhood textbook.

"Welcome to Zanarkand. I congratulate you, Summoner. Your pilgrimage is now complete. I will bestow upon you that which you seek. The Final Summoning will now be yours."

Yunalesca looked into Gian's eyes.

"You are the one who is to become the Fayth?"

"Umm," the guardian replied, "I am to become the what?"

"The Fayth of the Final Summoning. There must be a bond between Fayth and Summoner, such as that between friends, lovers, or family. If that bond is strong enough, it's light will certainly conquer Sin. Almost one thousand years ago, I chose my husband Zaon as my Fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the Final Aeon. There is nothing to fear. You will soon be free of worry and pain. For once you call forth the Final Aeon, your life will end. Death is the ultimate and final liberation. Many summoners have chosen this path. Discuss it. I will return when you are ready."

Yunalesca then walked back up the staircase and disappeared.

"This is crazy!" Gian exclaimed. "I didn't come here to become a Fayth."

"What in the hell is going on here?" Tara asked.

"Let's go get some answers." Gian replied. He proceeded up the staircase, with Tara behind him.

The guardian was shocked by what he saw. He appeared to be standing on a stone platform, surrounded by nothing except naked space.

"Are you ready?" asked Yunalesca.

"May I ask a question first?" Tara worriedly spoke. "If I use the Final Summoning to defeat Sin, will Sin return?"

"Sin is eternal. Every aeon that defeats Sin becomes Sin in its place. And thus is Sin reborn. Sin is eternal. It is never-ending.

"Never-ending?" Tara was at a loss for words. However, Gian was angry.

"What do you mean, never-ending?" the guardian exclaimed. "The Priests of Yevon have taught us for generations that if we atone for our crimes, if you want to call them that, then Sin will be gone!"

"Will humanity ever attain that level of purity?"

"This can't be!" Tara exclaimed. "This contradicts everything that Spira has ever been taught - everything that the people have ever believed. For centuries! For many of us, it was the only hope we ever had!"

"Hope is comforting. It allows us to accept fate, however tragic it may be. Many summoners have chosen this path. They chose to die because they had hope. Yevon's teachings and the Final Summoning give the people hope. Without hope, they would drown in their own sorrow." Yunalesca once again looked into the guardian's eyes. "Will you be the one to renew Spira's hope?"

Gian glared at Yunalesca. "I don't think so."

He took Tara by the hand and led her back to the platform entrance.

"You hear what she just said?" The guardian was beyond angry. "Everything Spira has ever been taught is a lie. We can't do this. If we take this path, you will die, and I will become Sin. The cycle will continue and nothing will ever change. That's not the future I had in mind. I don't think it's the future you had in mind either. Tara, I love you more than anything. And I will not lose you now. I made a promise, and I intend to keep that promise - even if it means we fight right now! Let's end this, Tara. Let's give Spira real hope. Are you with me?"

"I'm always with you." replied Tara, with a smile on her face. "I always have been, and I always will be. Yes, let's end this. And let's do it the same way we've done everything else. Together!"

Tara and Gian walked back to face Lady Yunalesca.

"Have you decided?" Yunalesca asked.

"Yes," Gian spoke, anger dripping from his voice. "We've decided. We've decided to end this charade that Yevon has foisted upon us. The Final Summoning is a false tradition, and it ends right now."

"No," Yunalesca replied, "It is our only hope. Summoners of days past sacrificed themselves to give that hope to the people, so they would forget sorrow."

"Wrong," Tara stated firmly. "I want to end Spira's sorrow for good, not cover it up with lies!"

"Sorrow cannot be abolished," Yunalesca replied. "It is meaningless to try."

"Sorrow is a part of life." Gian stated. "We'll live with our sorrow. We'll press on and defeat it. We'll live our lives as we were meant to. And we'll do it without Yevon's false hope. We'll give Spira _real_ hope. Just watch us!"

The space around Yunalesca was beginning to warp. Yunalesca was beginning to coalesce into something more powerful.

"Foolish creatures," she glared. "You would throw away hope? Well, I will free you before you can drown in your own sorrow. It is better for you to die in hope, than to live in despair. Let me be your liberator!"

"Tara!" Gian shouted, drawing his sword. "You ready?"

"I'm ready!" Tara replied, readying her staff.

Yunalesca's facial expression changed into one of fearsome anger. She began to levitate in front of them, and large black hellish wings had appeared behind her.

Gian stepped forward, slashing at Yunalesca. Her force field prevented his sword from doing any damage. Tara cast Flare, destroying Yunalesca's force field. The guardian cast Holy, pelting Yunalesca with piercing beams of divine light. Tara stepped forward to cast a Bio spell, draining Yunalesca of precious life energy, infecting her with poison as well. Another powerful slash of Gian's sword caused Yunalesca to scream in agony.

Yunalesca began to coalesce again. She rose high up into the air, attached to a large serpent-like being. She reached out with a tentacle, and slapped the guardian back, infecting him with poison.

The guardian readied a heal spell and cast it upon himself. While Yunalesca was distracted by Gian, Tara had begun the summoning ritual, calling for Shiva. Shiva covered the serpent and surrounding area with ice. Snapping her fingers once more, ice shards impaled the serpent, prompting another loud scream from Yunalesca. Shiva nodded and then disappeared.

Yunalesca began to coalesce once more. The serpent reared back, exposing a gigantic and gruesome serpent head, with a long snake-like tongue. Yunalesca struck at the guardian with the tongue. Gian dodged the attack and severed the tongue with a powerful slash.

Tara knelt down, gathering energy. She then stood and cast the single-most powerful spell she had ever cast in her life. Ultima found its mark, raining destruction down upon the serpent, causing a loud explosion, the force of which rocked the entire structure. Tara observed as the serpent head exploded into pyreflies, leaving only Yunalesca's original form behind it.

Gian ran his sword through a shocked Yunalesca, executing his signature maneuver. Yunalesca fell to her knees in defeat.

"If I die," Yunalesca weakly spoke, "Spira's hope dies with me."

"We told you," Tara replied, "We'll give Spira _real_ hope."

"Fools!" Yunalesca glared. "Even if you defeat Sin without the Final Summoning, Yu-Yevon, the immortal, will create Sin anew."

"Yu-Yevon?" Tara questioned.

"Ahh, Zaon..." Yunalesca curled into a ball. "Forgive me. Spira has been robbed of the light of hope. All that remains is sorrow." Yunalesca disappeared in a cloud of pyreflies.

Saying nothing, the pair joined hands and made their way back to the entrance of Zanarkand Dome. Gian walked out into the open field, where Sin was paused, waiting for him.

Gian walked right up to the creature, staring into his eyes. He started to wonder if he were hearing things. His facial expression changed. He nodded, and Sin began to move away.

Tara looked at her guardian in shock. "Gian, what was that about?"

"I heard something," the guardian replied, "a voice from deep within Sin. It said 'Help me. Please help me!'"

The pair continued their trek back through the broken streets of Zanarkand, ending up back at the hilly area they rested at previously.

Tara looked into her guardian's eyes. "Gian, what in the world did we just do?"

"We did what we had to do. But there's one thing that's no longer certain."

Tara looked at her guardian quizzically.

"The Final Summoning is now gone, forever. That means our lives are in our own hands. It's no longer a given that 'the summoner will die.' We've been given an opportunity. It's up to us now."

_Be strong, Tara,_ she thought, _you can do this._

Cid had walked up to join them.

"Well, don't you just look like the happy couple? C'mon, the airship is over there. I'm sure you want to get out of here."

Back aboard the airship, Gian looked at Tara.

"We still don't have the answers we need. I think there's only one place we're going to find them."

"I know what that means," the summoner dryly remarked. "It means we're going back to Bevelle."


	19. Chapter 18 - Aftermath

**Chapter 18 - Aftermath**

The airship parked at the exit of the Thunder Plains. It was a short trek through the Macalania Woods to get back to the Highbridge in Bevelle.

Tara and Gian made their way through the woods. Gian stopped, noticing something that was not there previously. A path made out of pure light, reaching above the woods.

"Tara, let's check this out," spoke the guardian. Together, they made their way up the path and reached the top, where they saw a dull orb. Next to the orb was a plaque which read:

_From lands afar, two warriors arrive.  
__Centaurus and Perseus, the symbols they wear.  
__Weapons of ages, they are destined to find.  
__The burden of all will be theirs to bear._  


They looked at their medallions. "We have the symbols," Gian remarked. "Now we just need to find the weapons."

They pair began to hurriedly make their way down the Bevelle Highbridge. They were stopped by Kinoc.

"No!" Kinoc shouted. "You can't come in here! You are forbidden! Traitors!"

Years of frustration came from deep within Gian, unleashed in a single punch. Kinoc laid unconscious on the Bevelle Highbridge. The guardian drew his sword and glared at the guardsmen who had accompanied Kinoc.

"I strongly suggest you not interfere. We'll be gone soon enough."

Tara and Gian made their way through the palace, and into the courtroom where Grand Maester Mika awaited.

"You!" the old man glared. "Why are you here? Surely you've obtained the Final Aeon from Yunalesca. You must go defeat Sin, quickly!"

"Well, we did meet her," Gian replied.

"We fought, and defeated her," Tara stated, firmly. "Summoners will be sacrificed for the Final Summoning no more."

"What?" the old man screamed. "Children! Infants! Do you realize what you've done? You've taken away the only means of calming Sin!"

"We'll find another way," Gian stated.

"Preposterous! There is no other way! Yu-Yevon's spiral of death will consume us all!" The old man began to sob.

"Spira won't die," Gian responded, "and who's Yu-Yevon?"

"He, who crafts the souls of the dead into unholy armor, armor called Sin. Clad in it, Yu-Yevon is invincible... And the only thing that could have pierced that armor, you have destroyed! I have no desire to watch Spira die. But nothing can stop it now!"

The old man raised his arms and disappeared into pyreflies.

"An unsent?" The voice came from the back of the courtroom. Seeing another Maester, the guardian instinctively began to reach for his sword. He stopped when he saw Tara run right into the man's open arms.

"Gian! Come meet Maester Navor!"

"You know him?" The guardian asked.

"Of course!" the summoner beamed, "Navor was my teacher in Kilika before joining the clergy! Navor, this is Gian, my guardian."

The maester's eyebrow raised as a huge smile appeared on his face. He extended a hand toward the guardian.

"Ahhh, so you are the Gian that Kinoc keeps rambling on about," the Maester chuckled.

Shaking the man's hand, Gian replied, "Well, I'm afraid there's gonna be a little more rambling coming your way."

"Gian," Navor spoke in an almost fatherly tone. "What did you do?"

"Commander Kinoc has interfered in our affairs one time too many," Tara explained.

"I, um... had to deal with him out on the Highbridge. I knocked him out cold. For all I know, he may still be there."

Maester Navor's belly laugh filled the entire courtroom, which surprised the guardian.

"Kinoc is a self-righteous ass," Navor responded, drawing a chuckle from Gian. "If you ask me, he deserves whatever he gets. You don't worry about him. How can I help you?"

"We need to know if it is possible to defeat Sin without the Final Summoning," Gian explained. "You may not know of this yet, but Yunalesca is no more, and the Final Summoning went with her."

The Maester looked into the eyes of the guardian.

"I believe your guardian has figured it out, Tara, I can see it in his eyes," the Maester replied. "Although it may not seem to be the case, you do indeed possess all the information you need. You know what must be done. Clearly, as a Maester of Yevon, I cannot give the solution to you, even as much as I might wish to. Do what, in your heart, you know to be right. Rid us of this curse, and then things all across our land can change for the better."

Tara hugged the man once more then prepared to leave Bevelle.

"Take care of yourself, Navor. We'll be back to see you again once this is all over with."

As they started to head back to the Highbridge, Gian stopped. He looked over at Tara.

"Tara, I just realized something. Back there, you made reference to 'when this is all over with.' And instead of dreading that subject like I normally do, I actually believe we'll indeed see the end of this together!"

Tara smiled. "Have you figured out a way?"

"You know, I think I have," Gian replied, "The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward thinking that there is no secret weapon, or technique, or whatever, to defeating Sin. I think we just might have it within ourselves to do it. Meaning, when the time comes, we just give it everything we've got and hope for the best!"

Tara saw the hope on Gian's face, and she began to smile once more. "Do you really think we can do this?"

"I tell you, I think we can!" Gian explained. "I mean, it was always thought that Yunalesca was one of the most powerful summoners in Spira, right? We took her down, really without that much effort, if you think about it."

Gian could see the figurative wheels turning inside Tara's mind. He continued.

"And don't forget Belegmine. You said you were surprised that an expert in the field said you were now more powerful than any summoner who ever lived. I don't think it's any surprise. I tell you, Tara, I really think we're gonna do it!"

The little boy in purple, Fayth of Bahamut, appeared from out of nowhere. He spoke to the guardian.

"Hello. Remember when I told you that one day we would talk? Today is that day. Please, come to my room." The Fayth then disappeared.

Tara and Gian made their way back towards Bevelle's Chamber of the Fayth, where the little boy appeared once more. Tara smiled at the little boy.

"I must thank you for the aeon."

"You are most welcome," the boy replied, smiling. He then looked towards the guardian. "Have you figured out a way to defeat Sin?"

"I think we have," Gian replied. "We defeat Yu-Yevon, who hides deep within Sin."

"Yes," the boy stated. "If you defeat Yu-Yevon, it will all end for good. Tell me, what do you know of Yu-Yevon?"

"He's the one who causes Sin to return," Tara stated.

"Sin is his armor," Gian replied.

"Yu-Yevon was once a summoner in Zanarkand," Bahamut explained. "He was extremely powerful. He had no equal. But during the Great War, Bevelle's machina assured their victory from the very start. Yu-Yevon was determined to not let Zanarkand die. So he set out to preserve it, any way he could. He led the remaining residents of the village onto Mount Gagazet and turned them all into fayth - fayth for the summoning. He is neither good nor evil. He exists for one reason, and one reason only. To summon."

"We've seen the fayth on Mount Gagazet," Tara replied. "But, fayth for the summoning? What summoning?"

"The summoning of a Zanarkand that never sleeps. It exists, somewhere in Spira. But nothing lasts forever, you know."

"That's right," Gian replied, "Because we're ending it. But, should we find this Zanarkand first?"

"No," the Fayth replied, "Well, I suppose you could if you really wanted to, but there's nothing there for you. You would just be wasting your time. It's just a memory, a specter of a city, and nothing more. Please, just end this. We're very tired."

"You've been dreaming a long time, haven't you?" Tara asked.

"Yes. And when the time comes, please call us. We will help you. Your swords and magic may well be enough, but we will help you nonetheless. Seek out my friends in the other temples. They will have words for you as well. And thank you."

The little boy began to fade away. Gian looked over at Tara.

"They've been fighting alongside us the whole time, and now they say they'll help us?"

"I don't understand it either," Tara replied, "But I think we will, when the time comes."

The pair left Bevelle, and boarded the airship once more.

"Where to, now?" Tara asked. "We've been everywhere in Spira. Is there any place we haven't been yet?"

"Y'ain't been everywhere yet," Cid remarked. "I got two locations on the screen over here. Not sure you wanna know..."

Gian looked over at Cid.

"Okay, I'll tell ya." the Al Bhed leader chuckled, "But you're not gonna like it! There an old temple in the middle of the ocean, due south of Home. I think it's the old abandoned Baaj Temple. And one other place, The Omega Ruins."

The guardian swore under his breath.

"How could I have forgotten about the Omega Ruins?"

"Hey, don't look at me!" Cid laughed. "Well, pick one!"

"Let's go to Baaj," Tara answered. "I don't like the sound of 'Omega Ruins' at all!"

"Stenn!" the Al Bhed leader bellowed, "You heard the lady, take us to Baaj!"


	20. Chapter 19 - Celestial Weaponry

**Chapter 19 - Celestial Weaponry**

The airship approached the general vicinity of the long-deserted Baaj Temple, in the middle of the ocean. Tara and Gian had to descend to the entrance via ladder as there was no place for the airship to set down. The air in the temple was cold and moist. Tara and Gian walked along a bridge towards the far end of the temple. Gian stopped when he noticed that the door on the other side was covered with wreckage.

"It doesn't look like we're gonna get through that way," he noted.

Tara looked back toward Gian.

"How's your swimming? Mine's not too bad."

"Good enough," the guardian replied, "I hope..."

The pair jumped into the water. Looking at Tara, Gian cast a spell that would help the pair stay under water longer without having to return to the surface for air. The pair swam around, looking for something - anything at all. They did not find anything.

Something found them, though. An extremely large, gruesome fish-like creature had appeared, looking for something to snack on.

Wasting no time, Gian slashed at the creature with his sword, halting its progress. Tara cast a Firaja spell, noting that the spell was powerful enough to work under water. The molten flames enveloped the creature, causing it to shudder in pain. The creature then open its large mouth, and swallowed the guardian whole.

Panicked, Tara readied another Firaja spell, when she noticed the creature's midsection convulsing. She saw the tip of a sword pushing through, and with a tremendous slash, Gian emerged from within the creature. Once Gian was safely out of the way, Tara let loose with Firaja once more. The creature began to shake and convulse uncontrollably. Gian swam up and ran his sword right through the creature's skull, causing it to explode into pyreflies.

Gian looked over at Tara and pointed upward. She got the message. Returning to the surface for air, they decided to rest for a moment.

"Yeah, I need to get back to the airship for a shower, once we're done here," the guardian quipped.

Tara looked at Gian who was covered with guts and grime. "Swim for a while longer, hopefully that stuff will... go away!"

The pair returned to the water. Tara followed Gian as he began to swim towards an underwater doorway. Making their way through the doorway, they found themselves in an antechamber. The back room of the antechamber was sealed away. Off to the sides were pedestals - three on each side. Tara took note of the inscriptions on each pedestal:

_Besaid. Kilika. Djose. Macalania. Bevelle. Zanarkand._

"What could this mean?" she questioned.

"I'm not sure, really," the guardian replied, "but we've been to each of these temples."

Tara walked up to the Kilika pedestal and touched it. It began to glow, and it then retracted into the wall. She then noticed that a portion of the seal that was guarding the back room had disappeared.

"I think we're onto something here!" the summoner exclaimed. She hurriedly touched the other pedestals in succession, causing each to glow and retract into the wall. The pair observed as the seal that guarded the back room dissolved.

They made their way into the back saw one of the secrets they had longed for since the early portions of their journey - a gleaming platinum summoner's staff, with red and silver tassels attached to it. Underneath the staff was a plaque.

_Perseus_

Taking hold of the Perseus Staff, Tara noticed that she felt no power from the weapon.

"You think maybe we have to take this back to that orb in Macalania?" she asked.

"Safe bet," the guardian replied. "You ready to return to the ship?"

Tara nodded, and the pair began to swim back to the temple entrance with the weapon in tow.

Once aboard the airship, Gian headed off to the shower, while Tara talked to Cid.

"Well? Did ya find anything down there?" the Al Bhed leader inquired.

"We found a weapon," Tara replied. "It's supposed to be one of the weapons of ages, but it feels lifeless. We think we know how to fix that though."

"I see," replied Cid. "Where's your man at?"

"Taking a shower, hopefully," the summoner replied. "He got into... a bit of a mess down there."

Cid noticed the peculiar expression on Tara's face. "Don't tell me. I don't think I want to know." Chuckling, he made his way back to the control area. "Stenn! Off to the Omega Ruins!"

Gian emerged, after a shower and a fresh change of clothes. His garb still resembled a Kilika Beasts blitzball uniform, but the familiar green and yellow colors were replaced with white and gold.

"That's an interesting combination," Tara remarked. "It looks a bit more... prestigious and regal?"

"It's all I could find that would fit," the guardian replied. "Are we off to the Omega Ruins?" Tara nodded. "There are going to be fiends there, the likes of which we've never seen. They're going to be incredibly powerful. That place hasn't been touched since... who knows when. We must persevere though. If we can't defeat what's there, then we won't be able to defeat Sin."

"I'll be ready," Tara replied.

The ship set down at the entrance to the Omega Ruins. The pair made their way inside. Gian began to explain.

"Seven hundred years ago, a monk rebelled against the Order of Yevon. He was branded a traitor and exiled here, where he's been ever since. I shudder to think of how powerful a fiend he's become. He might even be more powerful than Sin itself."

"Gian, you think 'traitor' might be a relative term, considering what we know of Yevon now?" Tara inquired. "At any rate, I'm ready. Let's do this."

The pair made their way deeper into the ruins, where they encountered some of the most powerful fiends they had ever seen. In one of the caverns, they noticed a switch.

"What do you think this does?" Tara asked.

"Only one way to find out," Gian replied, as he threw the switch. A platform materialized behind them.

Tara and Gian stepped onto the platform. On the next level, a terrifying fiend awaited them. They wasted no time springing into action.

Tara cast a Thundaja spell on the creature that caused it to shake uncontrollably. Its roar echoed throughout the structure. Gian ran his sword through the creature's midsection and slashed it into two, where it exploded into pyreflies.

"That's it?" Tara remarked.

"I doubt it," Gian replied. "Somehow, I think the main event is still to come."

Another platform appeared from behind where the creature once stood. They stepped onto the platform, making their way to the next level. They emerged onto a landing where they saw a series of smaller platforms high above a sea of black water. The path formed a spiral that lead to a central location. Each platform had a powerful fiend that the pair was forced to defeat.

The pair stepped onto the final platform where Omega revealed himself. The creature's roar shook the entire structure.

"Okay," Tara quipped, "I think this guy's for real!"

"You know what to do!" replied the guardian.

Tara wasted no time readying Ultima. The spell caused Omega to stop in place. Omega swiped at Gian who dodged the attack. Slashing with his sword, he drew a long incision in the creature's arm. Omega roared, looked at his arm, and began to heal himself.

"Oh _cred!_" Gian exlaimed. "He has heal spells too!"

Tara began her summoning ritual, wondering when Gian had time to learn Al Bhed curse words. The area around the pair went dark. A large and terrifying Samurai warrior appeared, with his equally fearsome dog in tow. Yojimbo drew his sword and unleashed his most powerful attack, the devastating Zanmato strike. He then disappeared.

Omega's roar once again shook the structure. Gian put his hands together once more in prayer-like fashion and unleashed Holy on the creature, causing it to roar even louder and convulse uncontrollably.

Tara summoned Shiva who covered the creature in a thick sheet of ice. Snapping her fingers, the ice exploded, impaling the creature with shards of ice.

Finally, Gian ran up and impaled the creature with his sword, executing his signature slash maneuver. Omega fell to his knees in defeat. The terrifying visage of Omega was replaced by a slender man in monk's garb. He spoke.

"Seven hundred years, I've been imprisoned in this place..." Omega glared. He then collapsed, lifeless.

Tara performed the sending ritual, allowing Omega to rest, finally and forever.

Gian made his way back towards the wall where he saw the most incredible sword he had ever seen – a gleaming platinum blade with the same silver and red tassels as Tara's weapon. He took note of the plaque underneath the weapon.

_Centaurus_

Gian grasped the Centaurian Blade, and much like Tara's Perseus Staff, he noticed it was lifeless.

Once outside the Omega Ruins, the pair basked in sunlight. Gian looked over at Tara.

"I believe we're almost ready to face Sin."

"We still need to visit the temples once more." Tara replied, "Remember what Bahamut said? He said the other Fayth will have additional words of advice for us."

Gian nodded, as the pair boarded the airship. A short time later, the airship set down once again at the exit of the Thunder Plains. Tara and Gian made their way back to the path of light in the Macalania Woods, and stood in front of the orb.

They read the inscription on the plaque once more.

_From lands afar, two warriors arrive  
__Centaurus and Perseus, the symbols they wear.  
__Weapons of ages, they are destined to find.  
__The burden of all will be theirs to bear._  


Tara reached forward to touch the orb, which began to shine – reacting with the mirror that Gian had obtained from underneath Remiem Temple. A voice reverberated throughout the woods.

_Have you the Celestial Weapons?_

Tara stepped forward with the Perseus Staff in hand, her medallion glowing. A blast of blinding white light appeared as the Perseus Staff floated in place in front of her. As the light subsided, Tara took hold of the staff. She had a shocked look on her face as she felt the raw power emanating from the weapon.

Gian stepped forward with the Centaurian Blade in hand, his medallion also glowing. The same blinding flash of light shone across the woods as the Centaurian Blade floated in front of him. He took the weapon once the light had subsided and he too, felt raw power coursing through the blade.

"Mystery solved," quipped the guardian. "Let's go see the Fayth now."

The pair made their way back to the airship, which took off. They were headed home.

Back to Kilika.


	21. Chapter 20 - Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 20 - Calm Before the Storm**

Tara and Gian returned to Kilika for the first time since their journey began. The summoner was mobbed by the village children. She took the time to greet each of the children, and the rest of the villagers as well.

Gian was bewildered as he took a look at the landscape. The village had rebuilt in a major way. Kilika no longer resembled a tiny backwater island village. Rather, it now looked like a bustling marine port, twice the size of its previous incarnation. He looked up toward his cabin and noticed that whatever damage it had suffered in Sin's attack was completely repaired. He also noticed that somehow, the cabin looked very different. He made a mental note to thank the person who had done the work, after their journey was completed.

Gian stopped to talk to his friend Roman, the old fisherman.

"You've done well, Gian. All of Spira has hope now. Real hope. Everybody truly believes that the two of you will defeat Sin once and for all. And all of Kilika is thankful that you've protected Tara the whole time."

"Roman," Gian said, smiling, "When this is all over with, I'm really going to be hungry for some fish. Oh, and I might want to use your boat again."

"Well..." the old man laughed. "You might want to go take a look at what's behind your cabin."

Together, Gian and Roman made their way down the dock, reaching his cabin. The guardian noticed a ladder, leading down toward a lower dock. Moored to the dock was a gleaming new boat, capable of traveling the entire world of Spira.

"Roman!" Gian exclaimed. "What in the world is this?"

"Ah, it's just a little something that the villagers got, in appreciation for all you've done. Everybody chipped in. It's something they wanted to do. In case you haven't noticed yet, Kilika's doing better than ever!"

The guardian turned around to see a gathering of villagers, who smiled at him and began to cheer. He waved in return. Several villagers approached him, offering handshakes and hugs.

Moved, Gian could only offer a weak "Thank you, everybody. You don't know what this means to me."

Gian walked into his cabin and he could not believe his eyes. The entire cabin had been rebuilt, expanded, and remodeled. It was not only big enough for two, but it could hold a family as well. Gian stood amazed. The villagers of Kilika had not only accepted him, they made him their champion, along with Tara.

After saying goodbye to Roman, and the rest of the villagers, Gian rejoined Tara. Together, they made their way back to Kilika Temple, where they once again found themselves in the Chamber of the Fayth.

A vision of the aeon Ifrit appeared, which was replaced by a man dressed as a Crusader. The man appeared to be in a dream-like state.

_Sin swam in the sea near Zanarkand.  
__Perhaps the dream city eased its suffering.  
__A person touched Sin, intending to destroy it.  
__How sad now, that she is caught in the tragic spiral.  
__She is Sin. She is lost._  


"Who is he referring to?" Tara asked.

Gian looked downward. "I think I know who. She's waiting for us - inside Sin."

The pair left Kilika and traveled by airship to every other temple in Spira. Each Fayth had a story to impart.

In Besaid, the Fayth of Valefor appeared to be a young woman of the island.

_Sin is cursed. Sin prays.  
It curses its form, __praying for dissolution.  
__Sin sees dreams of its own destruction.  
__Sin is looking at us.  
__We live in a fading echo of time left us, by the destroyer.  
__Free her from Yu Yevon.  
__Free her, the Fayth that has become Sin._

In Djose, the Fayth of Ixion appeared to be an older man of Luca.

_For a long time, we had forgotten how to go forward.  
__You reminded us we must go forward.  
__Yes, we must run.  
__Let us go, and we will run till our dreams end._  


At Remiem Temple, the Fayth of the Magus Sisters appeared to be children.

_Why did we stay on Spira?  
__We had forgotten for so long.  
__We had forgotten to move forward.  
__We had forgotten to change._

At the Calm Lands Scar, the Fayth of Yojimbo appeared as the same masked warrior they had previously seen.

_Our's is a fading dream, one that must fade away.  
__Spira will not forget the ones who saved us.  
__Onward, you must run.  
__Run on, into a future where Yu Yevon is a memory from the past._  


In Macalania, the Fayth of Shiva appeared to be a little girl from Zanarkand.

_Should you prevail, our dreams will end.  
__But do not weep, nor rise in anger.  
__Even we were once human.  
__That is why we must dream.  
__Let us summon a sea in a new world,  
__a new sea for everyone to swim._

Upon seeing the guardian, Shiva awakened from her dream-like state. She gazed into his eyes once again, as if she were seeing something familiar. She began to smile.

"You are willing to help us rest. For that, I thank you both."

Gian walked up to the fayth and knelt in front of her so he could look into her eyes.

"We should be thanking you for all the help you've given us. We never would have made it this far without you."

"You helped me and you showed me kindness. Thank you so much." Shiva continued gazing into the guardian's eyes. The guardian noticed the little girl staring straight into his soul. He was unsure of why, but he noticed that she seemed happy. Somehow, there was a connection between guardian and fayth, but Gian was at a loss to understand it.

"You know, Gian, I heard you when you called out to me in Zanarkand. Had we been in contact with each other longer, perhaps it might have been possible for me to come to your aid. Please forgive me?"

"It's alright," the guardian replied. "You will be able to rest very soon. Don't worry."

"We're so tired," the little girl sighed. "Thank you again, both of you, for all you've done to help us."

The little girl reached out to the guardian and touched his face. She held her hand in place for a several moments, smiled once more, then faded away. The guardian shook off a moment of dizziness then returned to his feet. He turned to see Tara smiling at him in a knowing manner.

"What?" the guardian asked.

"You'll find out. And you're going to make a wonderful father someday."

Making their way back to the airship, Tara looked over at Gian once more.

"Gian, they're tired. They want to rest. We must let them do that. They say that they'll help us, but it will really be us helping them."

Gian nodded as they boarded the airship. Making their way towards the command section, Gian looked solemly at Cid.

"It's time."

It was time to end Spira's thousand year nightmare.

It was time to face Sin.


	22. Chapter 21 - Sin

**Chapter 21 - Sin**

The airship flew past Bevelle, headed toward the Calm Lands. Stenn expertly steered the craft so it would fly right past Sin, attracting its attention. Sin gave chase as the airship reached the Calm Lands. The airship then turned to face the monster.

"Okay," Cid barked, "What's your plan?"

"The plan," Gian remarked, "is to go out there and give it everything we've got."

Cid started laughing uncontrollably. "Now that's what I call a plan! We've been working on something that might help, so go on out there and rip that thing a new blowhole!"

Gian nodded, and made his way to the turbolift, with Tara right behind him.

"We'll be ready, Cid!"

The pair disappeared into the turbolift. Cid gave the command, and from outside the ship, a rumble was felt. Two large cannons appeared on both sides of the ship.

As Tara and Gian prepared to make their way out onto the deck, Tara stopped him.

"Gian, do you really think we can do this?"

The guardian smiled. "I know we can. I no longer have any doubts at all. You wanna know how certain I am?"

Tara watched with shock as Gian lowered himself down onto one knee. He produced a sparkling diamond ring from his pounch. He displayed it in front of Tara.

"When this is all over with," he spoke, looking deeply into her eyes, "I'd really like it if you'd marry me. You've already made me the happiest man in all of Spira. I want to make you as happy as you've made me. Will you marry me?"

Tara began to cry uncontrollably, with tears of happiness streaming down her face. She held her hand out so Gian could slip the ring onto her finger. Still crying, she looked into Gian's eyes and answered.

"You've already made me that happy, Gian. Yes, yes! I will marry you!"

Tara and Gian hugged tightly, and shared a kiss, then made their way onto the deck, where they saw the first shot fired in the battle.

The airship's port cannon found its mark, just above Sin's left shoulder. The ship moved into position as the intercom crackled to life with Cid's voice.

"That's one! Do your worst out there!"

Sin's left fin was barely hanging in place as the ship moved even closer. Tara raised her staff and cast Blizzaja to separate the limb. The monster cried out in pain as the airship began to circle around to the other side. The starboard cannon fired above Sin's right fin. Again, Tara cast Blizzaja, severing the limb.

They watched with amazement as Sin crashed down into the Calm Lands. Gian looked over at his new fiancé.

"No way," he remarked. "It can't be that easy, can it?"

"Umm..." Tara replied, pointing to Sin who had resumed its position directly in front of the airship, with gleaming white wings in place of what were once fins.

The intercom crackled to life once more. "Okay kiddos! Back inside, we gotta figure out what to do next."

Gian reached for the intercom button.

"No! We go now!" He looked over at Tara who was gazing at him quizzically. "It's something I learned from Darno. When you've got the ball, you've gotta score, right?"

Tara readied her staff. "Right!" she exclaimed.

Gian drew his sword. "Let's do it!"

Sin cast the first of many Gravija spells, draining the pair's energy. Gian responded with a regenerative spell, negating the effect of Sin's gravity attacks. Tara summoned Bahamut, who pelted the monster with his Megaflare attack. Sin bounced backward in pain. Gian kept the attacks coming with powerful sword slashes at the monster's face. Tara summoned Valefor, who struck with her energy ray. Tara began to summon her aeons in rapid-fire mode, rotating them in and out quickly, before Sin could damage them with Gravija.

Cid spoke through the intercom once more.

"The cannon's are exhausted! I can't give you any more!"

Reaching for the intercom, the guardian shouted, "That's alright Cid. We're almost there! Take us in!" He looked over at Tara. "You ready?"

"I'm ready," the summoner replied.

"Now!" shouted the guardian.

Gian cast Holy, the ultimate white magic, at the same time Tara cast Ultima, the ultimate black magic. Together, the spells rocked Sin with unimaginable destruction. The monster crashed into the Calm Lands once more, defeated.

Tara stood at the front of the deck, watching as the being known as Sin exploded into a gigantic cloud of pyreflies. She looked at Gian in a bewildered state.

"We did it!" she exclaimed.

"We're not finished yet," replied Gian. "Look!"

The cloud of pyreflies dissipated, revealing a dark vortex.

"She's waiting for us in there." Gian spoke. "She asked us to help her."

"Who?" Tara asked.

"I have a feeling I know who it is. And if I'm right, we've both seen her already."

The airship set down in the Calm Lands. Tara and Gian began to make their way into the vortex. Gian looked over at Tara.

"Everything we've endured throughout our journey. Every trial, every battle, everything we've done. It all leads to this. Let's do this, Tara. Let's end Spira's nightmare once and for all."

Tara smiled and took Gian's hand, and together they made their way through the vortex. They heard a voice crying out to them, echoing throughout the vortex.

_Please! Help me!_

Neither summoner nor guardian were surprised that there would be more fiends inside the vortex. They fought their way towards a large tower and entered. They found themselves on a platform similar to the one they saw in Zanarkand when they fought Yunalesca.

A young woman appeared in the center of the platform. She turned around to face Tara and Gian. She had tears in her eyes."

"Please," the woman spoke softly. "Help me."

"It's you!" Tara exclaimed, remembering the vision she saw on the outskirts of Zanarkand.

"You are Amalia, guardian to Lady Yocun," Gian stated.

"We did see her earlier!" Tara remarked. Gian nodded in response.

"Please," the woman began to sob, "Help me! End this, I beg you!"

Tara looked into the woman's eyes.

"Lady Yocun defeated Sin almost a hundred years ago! You've been trapped here all this time?"

"Yes," Amalia responded, crying uncontrollably. "Trapped. Forced to destroy, and forced to kill. Everything and everyone that ever mattered to me, gone! I wanted to destroy Sin, not become it! I wanted to end Spira's suffering, not become the cause of it! Please, I beg you, end this!"

Tara gave a knowing smile.

"We will end this for you. Don't worry. Your ordeal will be over with very soon."

Amalia managed to bring a weak smile onto her face.

"Thank you, truly" she replied. "You know what you'll have to do, right? When it starts, I won't be myself anymore. I'll be Sin, completely. I won't hold anything back. I'll do everything I can to destroy you. I won't be able to stop it. You must end this now."

"Don't worry," Tara replied softly. "We will."

Amalia ran to the edge of the platform and jumped off into the void below. The spatial area began to change colors rapidly. A large rumble was felt. A flaming female warrior appeared before them. An aeon as tall as a building. Lady Yocun's Final Aeon prepared to attack.

The aeon reared back and hit the pair with an energy ray, stunning them. Regrouping, Gian cast Curaja, and Regen, in succession. Tara summoned Ifrit, who attacked with his powerful flying tackle. Gian attacked with sword slashes against the aeon's body. Tara dismissed Ifrit, and summoned Bahamut. The dragon's Megaflare attack pierced the aeon's skin, doing even further damage. Tara then dismissed Bahamut, and called for the Magus Sisters. Their triangular attack began to rip the aeon apart from the inside. Gian cast Holy, pelting the aeon with piercing beams of divine light.

Tara and Gian were setting a pace that the aeon could not keep up with. Tara called for Ixion. Ixion fried the aeon with powerful lightning strikes. Dismissing Ixion, Tara called for Yojimbo who let loose with a devastating sword strike. Finally, Tara called for Valefor, who attacked with her energy ray. Amalia, Lady Yocun's Final Aeon, was all but defeated. She floated in front of the pair, knowing and waiting.

Gian was surprised to hear a voice inside his head. The familiar voice of the little girl inside Macalania Temple. The Fayth of Shiva.

_Call me, Gian. I will help you._

Tara smiled as Gian placed his hands together in prayer formation. He then drew his sword and raised it to the sky. Large icicles rained down in a fan-like pattern in front of him. Shiva descended from the heavens, revealing herself, as she flung her veil toward the guardian.

Shiva threw forth her magic, covering the aeon inside a solid sheet of ice. Looking over at Gian, she smiled and snapped her fingers, destroying the aeon with razor-sharp shards of ice.

Gian smiled back and nodded as Shiva disappeared. The aeon collapsed onto the platform and exploded into pyreflies, leaving behind the original and mortally-wounded form of Amalia, the guardian.

Tara ran to her as quickly as she could. Amalia tried to sit up, but was unable to. She looked at Tara, then Gian, and smiled weakly, finally at peace. Tara took the woman's hand into her own.

"Rest, Amalia," she spoke, "It's all over."

"Thank you..."

Amalia closed her eyes and went lifeless. Tara gently laid the woman's hand to her side. She moved back to provide enough room to perform the sending. Moments later, Amalia dissolved into pyreflies and disappeared.

"I feel so terrible for what she had to suffer through," Tara remarked. "All that killing and destruction... forced upon her, against her will. It's so awful! Is this what Sin really is?"

Gian stared off into the spatial void, and then turned back to face Tara. He was resolute.

"Amalia gave her life to defeat Sin. That's how she should be remembered. Tara, we must keep this to ourselves. I can think of no possible good that could come from revealing to everybody what happened to her. I know it's not like me to keep secrets, but I'm comfortable taking this one to the grave. Amalia's memory deserves to be protected. And it's up to us to make sure that nobody ever again suffers like she did."

"Agreed," Tara nodded.

Tara and Gian decided to rest. Both sat at the base of the staircase in each others' arms, saying nothing – only pondering the true nature of Sin that they had just learned. It was impossible to blame Amalia for anything. Everything that she had done as Sin was forced upon her. Their true enemy had yet to be revealed. They remained silent, resting, simply holding each other. After a few moments, Tara looked up at her guardian, smiling.

"You're one with Shiva now," Tara remarked. "How does it feel? Isn't it a wonderful experience? Sharing yourself with an aeon helps to give you such an incredible peace of mind. You're sharing their centuries of wisdom and experience. It really puts things into perspective. There's nothing to compare it to."

"I don't understand," the bewildered guardian remarked. "Why me? It doesn't make any sense..."

Tara laid her head upon Gian's shoulder, as the pair continued to hold each other.

"Gian, it makes perfect sense. That little girl undoubtedly lost a loved one in the Great War. Most likely her father. I'm thinking that she sees a lot of him in you. I see how she looks at you, and I see a certain happiness in her - a happiness she undoubtedly hasn't had in a long, long time. She chose you. I'm okay with it. And congratulations on becoming a summoner. Maybe we should call you Lord Gian?"

Gian could see Tara's playful smirk.

"You're _not_ serious, are you, Lady Tara?" Gian chuckled. The last thing the guardian wanted was more formality in his life. "Only when you are High Summoner Tara. Besides, I'm still your guardian, and that's all I want to be."

The pair spent a few more moments resting from the battle, when they saw something that stirred them back to their feet - a gleaming black demon-ghoul with a symbol on its body. An unmistakable symbol that every denizen of Spira knew well.

The symbol of Yevon.


	23. Chapter 22 - Final Confrontation

**Chapter 22 - Final Confrontation**

Tara and Gian watched as the specter of Yu-Yevon flew around the platform, finally settling into position a short distance away.

They heard the combined voices of all the Fayth from the various temples in Spira.

_We Aeons, call us!_

Gian nodded to Tara, who had a sad look on her face. She raised her staff and began the summoning, calling for Valefor.

Valefor burst through a silver-white flash in the sky and settled in front of them. They watched as the specter flew towards Valefor, dissolving into her. Valefor turned a sickly shade of green and turned to attack.

Gian's signature sword slash dispatched Valefor. The specter floated away from the defeated aeon. He looked at Tara once again and nodded.

Tara called for Ifrit. The familar flaming circle encompased the summoner and Ifrit appeared from underneath the platform where they stood. Again, the specter floated toward the aeon, dissolving into it. The aeon changed colors into something grotesque.

Tara raised her staff and cast a Blizzaja spell that tore Ifrit into pyreflies. She stood with tears in her eyes. She looked over at Gian.

"He was my first aeon. And I know he was your friend too."

"I know it's hard," Gian replied. "But we have to keep going!"

Tara nodded, and summoned again, this time calling for Ixion. The silver-white unicorn emerged from a vortex behind the summoner. The specter possessed Ixion the same as he had possessed Valefor and Ifrit.

Tara cast Waterja, destroying Ixion. The specter left the aeon as it dissolved into pyreflies.

Tara summoned once more, calling for Yojimbo. Gian watched as the specter split into two, so it could possess both the aeon and his dog.

Sensing that the aeon might wish to be laid to rest by a similar warrior spirit, Gian stepped forward and executed his signature maneuver once more, destroying Yojimbo. Tara cast Flare, dispatching his dog as well. The twin specters left the dying aeons, rejoining into one.

Tara summoned Bahamut. The specter possessed the dragon in a similar manner, turning it an ugly shade of gray. Gian cast Holy, which tore the dragon into pyreflies. He watched as the specter fled once more.

"Last one," Tara spoke softly. Tara summoned for a final time, calling forth the Magus Sisters. They watched as the specter split into three, possessing each of the aeons.

Tara cast Ultima, sending the the three aeons to their final rest. The specter left the dying aeons, and rejoined into one.

Tara collapsed onto her knees with tears streaming down her face. She was distraught over having destroyed the aeons who had such a profound impact upon her life. She looked upon the aeons as friends who had provided aid and comfort. Understanding why it needed to be done did little to ease her mind.

Only one aeon remained. Tara looked up at Gian, seeing sadness on his face.

"Gian, you have to," she softly spoke. "You have to do it. It's what she would want."

Gian pressed his hands together in prayer formation. He drew his sword once more and raised it to the sky, summoning Shiva.

Shiva appeared for a final time, and flung her veil to Gian, who gently caught it. He watched with horror as the specter floated toward her and then into her – possessing her. Shiva's complexion turned an awful shade of green and grey. Her face was contorted. She appeared to be in agony.

Gian heard Shiva's strained voice inside his head.

_Gian, you must!_

The guardian stepped forward, fighting back tears of his own. His sword released Shiva from her pain. He fell to his knees as she disappeared into pyreflies. He heard her voice a final time.

_Thank you for everything, Gian. I will never forget you._

Tara and Gian stood and looked solemnly into each other's eyes. There was only task remaining.

"For Spira," he nodded.

"For Spira," she replied.

The specter known as Yu-Yevon was destroyed instantly by Tara and Gian's dual Ultima/Holy combination.

The pair watched as the defeated specter began to implode. Smaller and smaller it shrank, until it exploded violently, shaking the entire area.

The vortex dissolved and the sky turned various colors, finally settling into a cloudy blue sky with sunlight beginning to peek through.

Tara and Gian found themselves back in the Calm Lands. They stood, and walked into each others arms. Tara broke down completely, crying uncontrollably.

"It's all over," she sobbed, "it's really all over, isn't it..."

He held her as tightly as he could.

"Yes," he whispered, "it's all over. We've done it. Spira will never suffer because of Sin, ever again. We're free now."

They sat in the grassy expanse of the Calm Lands, looking off into the horizon. They wondered where their world would go from this point. The people of Spira were now free from their thousand year nightmare. They would now be able to live as they were meant to.

Inside the various temples, the fayth statues began to rest, dissolving into solid stone. The wall of Fayth on Mount Gagazet dissolved in the same manner. Tara looked into Gian's eyes. She no longer felt the presence of any of her aeons. Gian returned her gaze, no longer feeling Shiva's presence.

The clouds had parted, and the sunlight shone freely on the Calm Lands. Gian looked over at Tara and said something that made her familiar smile return.

"You know, I could really use some coffee right about now!"

Tara burst into laughter through her tears. Gian smiled in return. They joined hands and began to make their way back toward the Travel Agency where Alyssa was waiting.


	24. Chapter 23 - Blue Skies Forward

**Chapter 23 - Blue Skies Forward**

The blitzball stadium in Luca was packed with people from all over Spira who were celebrating Tara and Gian's victory. The spectators were jubilant as they waited for the victory celebration. However, they did not know that the were also going to be witness to something very special, as well.

The ceremony was presided over by Grand Maester Navor, who had assumed the role of leadership after Mika's disappearance. The Grand Maester began to speak.

"Greetings, people of Spira. It is with great joy that I speak before you today. As of this very moment, our world will enter a new era - an era without Sin!"

Thunderous applause enveloped the stadium as Navor continued.

"Sin is gone. Forever! We will now be free to live our lives as we were meant to. A new age of Yevon is upon us as well. We will be done with the old ways. Today, Spira and Yevon, begins anew."

Tara listened from her chamber on the other side of the stadium, as several maids were helping her with her dress. She smiled to herself. With Navor in charge, Yevon would begin a new era of honesty and integrity - an era that would embrace the Al Bhed, and new ideas. She hoped that all of Spira would become united behind it, and him.

"It is a tremendously joyous day before us, right now," the Grand Maester continued, "and I can think of no more perfect way to celebrate Spira's new beginning than by giving our blessings to the two people who have given us this wonderful gift! Please, I ask you to grant your blessings and remember this moment forever as we witness the marriage of two people who will go down in Spiran history as two of the most loved and cherished figures of all. I give you High Summoner Tara, and her guardian Lord Gian!" Loud cheers enveloped the entire stadium.

The party began to make their way to the stage. First was Zito, Stenn's five year old son. He made his way toward the stage where he stood smiling, as he held the rings. Next was Rayann from Besaid. She stood across from Zito, in her beautiful white dress, with flowers in her hand. The Best Man made his way toward the stage, amongst loud cheers. Darno smiled at the crowd and at Zito, Rayann, and Navor. The Maid of Honor, Lana, Rayann's mother, appeared next. She made her way down the aisle looking very beautiful in a dress similar to Rayann's. She took her place. She looked across the aisle at Darno and smiled.

The noise in the stadium became deafening when Gian made his way down the aisle. He noticed Braska and Auron in the crowd. He gave the pair a knowing nod. He continued, taking his place on the stage. He turned to face the crowd. He smiled as the music began to play.

The noise level in Luca Stadium was as loud as could be, as Tara made her way down the aisle. She was simply stunning in her elegant dress. Finally she made her way up the steps to stand next to Gian. Navor began to speak once more.

"My friends, we are gathered here today, to not only celebrate a new Spira, but to welcome two people into the bonds of holy matrimony. Never before in the history of our world have we been able to come together, as one, to celebrate something so wonderful. So without further ado, let us begin. May I have the rings, please?"

Smiling, Zito reached up to hand the rings to Navor, who in turn, gave them to Tara and Gian. Both slipped the rings onto each others appropriate finger.

"High Summoner Tara, do you take this man, Lord Gian, to be your husband, to honor and cherish, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?

Tara gently lifted her veil so the spectators in the stadium could see her face. She spoke softly and clearly.

"I do."

"Lord Gian, do you take this woman, High Summoner Tara, to be your wife, to honor and cherish, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?

Gian looked out at the crowd and then into the radiant face of Tara.

"I do."

"If anybody knows of a reason these two should not be joined, speak now, or forever hold your peace - although I wouldn't recommend it," the Maester grinned.

Laughter and cheers filled the stadium. Tara and Gian smiled at Navor. The cheers continued. Spira had never had a Grand Maester with a sense of humor, until now. The Maester continued.

"Then by the power vested in me as the Grand Maester of the Order of Yevon, I hereby pronounce you... husband and wife! Lord Gian, you may now kiss the bride!"

As they shared this most special kiss, the cheers practically blew the roof off of Luca Stadium.

After the ceremony, Tara and Gian opted for some simple quiet time together. The found themselves back out on the water of the Moonflow, in their brand new boat. The lake was beginning to glow from the moonlilies.

Tara giggled as she looked over to the side of the passenger area. She noted that Gian had brought along a thermal jug of steaming hot coffee.

"Just think," she remarked. "Had I not brought you coffee that one day, none of this might have ever happened."

"So we have Kilika's coffee to thank for everything?"

"Yup!" Tara replied.

"I'll drink to that," he quipped, downing his cup.

"Hey, save some for me!" Tara teased.

They both looked at the rings on their fingers and then into each others eyes. They kissed, under the beautiful Spiran sunset.

It was a new beginning for Tara and Gian. They would now have their whole lives ahead of them, in which to make a new story.

They were determined to make it a good one.

**THE END**


	25. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It was a beautiful afternoon in Besaid, and a schoolteacher was finishing up her lessons for the day.

"Okay class, that concludes the story of High Summoner Tara and Lord Gian, and today's lesson in Spiran History. Any questions?"

One girl raised her hand. "Did you really know them, Miss Rayann?"

"Yes, Katelin, I sure did. I first met them a long, long time ago, and I was no older than you at the time. High Summoner Tara and Lord Gian saved my life. I was also the flower girl at their wedding."

"Wow!" the girl cooed. "Is there more?"

The schoolteacher smiled. "Yes, there actually is more. Today's story wasn't the end of their adventure together. But that will be another story for another day. And if you all continue to pay attention like you've been doing, I just might be able to get High Summoner Tara and Lord Gian to visit the class."

"Really? That would be so cool! Thank you Miss Rayann! We'll see you tomorrow!"

"See you all tomorrow, class. You're dismissed."

The schoolteacher began to gather up her belongings. She stopped to stare at a shiny blue ice gem that was sitting on the corner of her desk.

She smiled and left the classroom, and began to make her way home.


End file.
